Research report highlights climate change threats and opportunities for Irish farmers
October 24 2013, 08:00am
Projected Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Irish Agriculture
Commissioned report on behalf of Stop Climate Chaos
Author: Dr. Stephen Flood, Research Associate, ICARUS, NUIM
This report commissioned on behalf of Stop Climate Chaos presents projected economic impacts of climate change on Irish agriculture, especially in the light of increasing investment and intensification.
Agriculture is one of the most climate-sensitive industries in Ireland, as its primarily outdoor production processes depend on particular levels of temperature and rainfall. The report projects the total economic costs of climate change in the region of €1-2 billion per annum by mid-century. This figure represents 8.2% of the current contribution of the agricultural sector to the national economy annually, and at the upper level is greater than the Harvest 2020 targeted increase of €1.5 billion in primary output.