Ministers announce Ireland as Chair of the Global Research Alliance for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases
- Published on: 13 February 2025
- Last updated on: 17 February 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and Minister of State with special responsibility for research and development Noel Grealish today announced a major national conference on climate change in agriculture to be held this year. The conference is taking place as part of an important gathering of the global research community working together as part of the ‘Global Research Alliance’ (GRA).
The GRA has 68 member countries committed to research collaboration in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring food security.
Ireland, through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has officially assumed the Chair of the Global Research Alliance for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), for a period of eighteen months from 1 January 2025. This is the first time that Ireland has chaired the GRA since joining in 2009.
Speaking on Ireland’s new leadership role, Minister Heydon said:
“I see agriculture very much as a solution when it comes to climate change. Ireland’s food sector is a leader internationally in sustainable food systems. As chair of the GRA, we will continue this international leadership role in driving research and developing innovative technologies and practices that farmers can use to reduce emissions while at the same time, supporting resilient and secure food systems."
Minister of State Grealish said:
“Ireland is honoured to be chairing this important international research alliance on an area that is a very high priority for us. My department invests significant resources in agricultural climate research, increasing funding in this area by 60% over the last five years. Taking on this new role builds on our existing international commitments, including the bilateral research initiative with New Zealand, participation in the Global Methane Hub Accelerator, and in the Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate."
Special Representative of the GRA, Dr Harry Clark, welcomed Ireland’s leadership, saying:
“International collaboration is essential in addressing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, a global effort involving over 60 researchers in the feed and nutrition network of the GRA published ground-breaking technical guidelines on feed additives for methane mitigation. This demonstrates the value of the GRA, and Ireland’s expertise and commitment to science in this area will be instrumental in helping the GRA to build on outputs such as this."
Agricultural Climate Conference
In addition to chairing the GRA, the Ministers also announced their intention to host a major national conference focusing on agriculture’s role in mitigating climate change, bringing together national and international policy makers, researchers, advisors, farmers, industry leaders and others.
Minister Heydon said:
“I am pleased to announce that my department will host this important national agricultural climate conference in Dublin Castle on Thursday, 5 June 2025. This will build on a similar previous conference held in November 2023 at the Aviva Stadium and hosting the conference alongside a meeting of the Council of the GRA underscores our commitment to leading global efforts in sustainable agriculture."
Minister of State Grealish remarked:
“Given the extent and breadth of the research investment being made by my department in this area, it is important we bring the latest findings to our key stakeholders in order to continue our extensive efforts in reducing agriculture’s contribution to Irelands GHG emissions. I look forward to announcing further details about the conference over the coming months."
Notes
Global Research Alliance for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases
Climate change cannot be tackled by any country or research institution working alone.
The GRA was launched in December 2009 and continues to grow in membership, with more than 60 countries from all regions of the world. Ireland was a founding member.
The GRA also partners with key international and regional organisations responsible for the dissemination of knowledge to policy makers, the science community and farming leaders.
The GRA Special Representative is the Ambassador for the GRA. Dr. Harry Clark is also the Chief Scientist of the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre.
Professor Tommy Boland, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, is a Co-Chair of the Livestock Research Group (one of four research groups) of the GRA.
The technical guidelines on feed additives for methane mitigation were published as a Journal of Dairy Science special issue in December 2024. The full open access issue can be found here: Feed additives for methane mitigation: Introduction—Special issue on technical guidelines to develop feed additives to reduce enteric methane - Journal of Dairy Science. Two upcoming webinars will be hosted to provide more details on this project – see here: Feed additives to reduce methane Global Research Alliance.
For more information on the GRA, see Global Research Alliance.
Agriculture and Climate Change Conference
The conference will take place in Dublin Castle on Thursday 5 June 2025.
Key themes will include genetics and breeding, feed additives, other methane and nitrous oxide reducing technologies, carbon sequestration and storage, policy and market trends, and international perspectives in these areas.
Further details, including registration, will be published in the coming months.