13 September 2024
Countdown on for Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards 2024
The winners of the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards 2024 will be crowned on October 1.
The awards ceremony for the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards 2024 will take place on Tuesday, October 1, at the Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co. Laois.
The awards aim to promote environmentally sustainable farming and recognise the progress that farmers are making to lighten the load of farming on the landscape, while continuing to produce high quality, nutritious food, in a profitable manner.
There were over 100 entries for the awards, across all the main enterprises. This has been screened to 16 finalists, including six dairy, four suckler beef, two dairy beef, two sheep and two tillage. All farmers have been visited by the judging panel over the summer months, allowing the judges to get an insight into the key actions the farmers are taking to farm sustainably from an economic and environmental perspective.
Commenting on the progress these farmers have made, Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh, Teagasc Signposts Programme and Chair of the Judging panel, said: “Many of the actions that these farmers are taking to improve the profitability of their farming system are also good for the environment, including improving soil fertility, reducing age at finish, reducing reliance on chemical nitrogen, increasing the use of protected urea fertiliser and many more.
“It’s win-win, good for farm incomes and good for the environment.
“Many of the finalists highlighted the responsibility they have to look after the farm and leave it in a better condition for the next generation, safeguarding the sustainability of the farm from an economic, social and environmental perspective. But also ensuring their kids are able to talk with pride about what their family is doing to safeguard their farming future.”
Speaking in advance of the announcement of the winners Michael Berkery, FBD said the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards demonstrated good commercial farming contributing to high environmental standards with a positive impact on incomes and farm sustainability.
Mr Berkery complimented all the entrants who, he said, are examples of environmentally conscious farmers applying best practice on their farms. While contributing to environmental improvements, all the 100 entrants had financial sustainability of the farm to the forefront and this was fully compatible with emphasises on improving water quality, soil health and enhancing biodiversity.
He complimented Teagasc advisors for their work with farmers to improve environmental sustainability, which in the long term, was vital for farm viability.
“These inaugural Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards highlight farmers’ commitment to environmental sustainability and the finalists in the competition are a shining example for their fellow farmers of what can be achieved on individual farms,” he concluded.