The VistaMilk SFI Research Centre has said that reducing the livestock herd or a reduction of emissions from livestock as a 'quick fix' toward environmental goals is an "overly simplistic and flawed" approach.

VistaMilk describes itself as creating an overview of all research and innovations taking place under its remit and can combine different projects to generate a range of recommendations and practical solutions.

It has said that these will enable Irish dairy farmers to develop sustainable practices that will protect the 18,000 family dairy farms, the 60,000 jobs, and the €5 billion yearly economic contribution that dairy supports in Ireland.

It said it will also provide consumers with the reassurance of knowing that the dairy products they buy continue to be both farmed and processed locally.

In a statement, VistaMilk said: "For the Irish dairy industry (part of an agricultural sector that accounts for 37% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, the bulk of which are methane), there’s an issue beyond reducing its total emissions by 22% by 2030. It’s an issue of perception.

"The conclusion has been drawn that reducing Ireland’s emissions is as simple as reducing livestock numbers and two narratives have emerged:

"Both conclusions are overly-simplistic and flawed, and both ignore the significant strides and investment being made by the dairy industry to address the issues, reduce emissions, meet the targets, and become a truly sustainable sector."

According to VistaMilk, much of this work is research-based, and the results that are emerging point to a bright green future for agricultural Ireland.

 According to the research centre, its experts are showing the way in:

Beyond emissions and environmental impact, VistaMilk has said that it also leading research and development programmes that point to the future of farming as well as suggesting solutions to nutrition-related challenges.

VistaMilk is a collaboration between agri-food and information communications technology (ICT) research institutes and leading Irish/multinational food and ICT companies.

It is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM).