9.5 Research Case Studies
VitD-DPI: Development of a National Framework for Vitamin D Deficiency Prevention – A Multi-actor Approach to Nutrition Security
Project coordinator: Prof. Kevin Cashman, University College Cork in collaboration with Teagasc and University College Dublin.
Project award: €1,256,295
Background Vitamin D deficiency is common across Europe, especially in Ireland. It can have a negative impact on skeletal development among children and contribute to ill-health among adults, including impaired immune defence. Vitamin D deficiency is due to a combination of low sunlight and/or low vitamin D intake. Limited sun availability in Ireland means that we are dependent on food to supply vitamin D, but because the amount of vitamin D in our food system is low, our intake of vitamin D is also low.
Importance/Value of Research Scientists have known for a decade that fortifying food can potentially prevent vitamin D deficiency, but there is a need for a framework between scientists and the public. The government, policy makers and the industry has failed to convert knowledge to action.
Expected Outcomes The first objective is to engage all stakeholders, including government, regulatory authorities, industry, civil society and scientists to identify, analyse and co-design policyready solutions to the vitamin D problem. As a next step in tackling the issue, the team are exploring the feasibility for a commonly consumed, sustainable food to act as a vehicle for vitamin D supplementation. From the outset, this is expected to be in the form of a healthy, fibre-rich, reduced-salt, vitamin D-fortified bread. The team will then conduct two community-based, wintertime dietary intervention studies to test whether vitamin D-fortified bread is effective, safe, and acceptable to people in preventing vitamin D deficiency. The project’s final objective is to present a national proposal, that is endorsed by all stakeholders, offering a strategy to solve vitamin D deficiency in Ireland.
Benefits to the Sector The VitD-DPI project has the potential to develop and validate an integrated policy-ready proposal for Vitamin D deficiency prevention in Ireland that is safe, effective, suitable, consistent with a sustainable healthy diet and acceptable to all stakeholders.
AGRI-SOC - Evaluating Land-Use and Land Management Impacts on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in Irish Agricultural Systems
National Lead Researcher: Prof. Gary Lanigan, Teagasc in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick
Overall Project Funding: €598,052
Background Funded under the 2017 National Research Call, Agri-SOC seeks to address agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through carbon sequestration associated with pastures and improved grassland management practices.
Importance/Value of Research More accurate quantification of carbon sequestration in grasslands is essential to allow reporting to tier 2 and 3 levels in the National Inventory Reporting and to provide information that allows for both effective reduction and mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions at both the field and national level. Management practices that can increase SOC stocks to mitigate climate change will provide the basis for inclusion in grassland soils management.
Benefits to the Sector This project will assist the sector both in terms of carbon credits and a reduced carbon footprint on agricultural produce. The results will also integrate with various other projects quantifying and modelling carbon and nitrogen processes, to provide a costed toolkit for the potential management of carbon associated with grasslands.
AdaptForRes - Adaptation, Mitigation and Protection Strategies to Increase Resilience of Irish Forests to Address the Impacts of Climate Change
National Lead Researcher: Dr. Niall Farrelly, Teagasc, Mellows Centre, Athenry, Co. Galway
Overall Project Funding: €2,599,494
Background Resilience is a measure of how a forest responds to a perturbation, and how quickly it can recover to its ideal state. In the face of changing climate, and increased threat from pests and pathogens, building the resilience of forest ecosystems is vital to protecting the ecosystem services they deliver. This research addresses three measures aimed at increasing resilience: 1-Forest Genetic Options, 2-Forest Management Practices and 3-Forest protection measures.
Importance/Value of Research Responding to the challenges posed by climate change requires a concerted effort to increase resilience so that forests are adapted to changing conditions and have increased protection from damaging agents. This is an essential component of sustainability so they can continue to deliver ecosystem services to society.
Benefits to the Sector This research aims to identify new forest management practices and tools that are resilient and adaptable under climate change while ensuring the continued provision of goods and services and the benefits of forests to society. To assist policy, appropriate species selection matched to site will ensure crop sustainability, and that forestry maximises its potential as a mitigation strategy. To minimise risk to the resource, diverse and adaptive forest management strategies will be investigated which may provide information about the suitability of systems for enhanced resilience and the sustainability to the forestry sector. This research aims to enhance plant health detection efforts in Ireland, by researching a global horizon scan and pest risk assessment for key forest species in Ireland. The potential of using a risk-based surveillance network and new eDNA methods to detect the presence of notable pests and pathogens will be examined.
Mental Health Help-Seeking in Irish Farmers
National Lead Researcher: Dr Siobhan O’Connor, Dublin City University
Overall Project Funding: €210,569
Background Mental health is a major societal issue in Ireland, with international research reporting that farmers are particularly at risk due to their higher rates of mental issues such as depression, anxiety, stress and burnout. Farmers must be able to identify their symptoms and seek help when experiencing mental health issues. Unfortunately, research has found that farmers are less likely to seek help for mental health difficulties than the general public and many barriers can occur that prevent help-seeking including a lack of awareness of mental health symptoms and available supports, stigma, self-stigmatisation, rural masculine norms and poor social support. There is a severe dearth of research examining mental health among Irish farmers and no current research on mental health help-seeking.
Importance/Value of Research This research project aims to improve the Irish farming community’s mental health literacy and intentions to seek help when experiencing mental health issues. Guided by the Medical Research Council framework for developing a complex intervention, the project will firstly ascertain the extent of mental health issues in the Irish farming community and factors associated with poor mental health. Secondly, using a qualitative study design it will identify the barriers and facilitators towards mental health help-seeking and the most ideal education strategies to engage in this will be examined. Finally, the project will design and evaluate the effectiveness of a bespoke education intervention designed with the farmers’ voice and views immersed throughout.
Benefits to the Sector This research project’s main expected impact is the development of an effective tailored educational intervention that will improve Irish farmers’ mental health help-seeking. The research aims to assist Irish farmers so that in the event they experience mental health difficulties or issues they (i) understand what they are going through and can appraise their symptoms, (ii) know where to seek help and how to contact Irish mental health supports and services and (iii) feel equipped to take the step to seek help from available sources.
Highlighting Pathways to Empower Rural Women to Have Sustainable & Equitable Livelihoods in Farming
National Lead Researcher: MaryAnne Hurley, Munster Technological University
Overall Project Funding: €99,495
Background In 2015, the UN committed to seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015), SDG 5 focuses on gender equality, targeting gender equality and empowering women and girls everywhere by 2030. Seven years on, large gender gaps remain across the world. Irish data from the Census of Agriculture 2020 highlights that women are underrepresented as farm holders, and that there are many unrecognised women working in the agricultural sector, making valuable contributions every day to family farms, who are essentially ‘invisible’. In order to track gender equality commitments at EU and national level, better visibility of the status of women in agriculture is crucial to the successful creation, implementation and evaluation of future strategies.
Importance/Value of Research This research will establish a position on women in farming and the agriculture sector, providing evidence for future policy interventions to enhance the role of women in the sector. It will achieve this by providing insights into the lives of women farmers and workers in the agricultural sector of all ages. A gendered focus will be used to analyse existing data on farm income, farm payments and capital investment in farms. The project will identify barriers and enabling factors throughout the career paths taken by women who train in the agricultural sector and the reasons for these choices. It will further identify any geographical differences by region or county in the participation levels, incomes and experiences of women involved in agriculture.
Benefits to the Sector Reviewing existing datasets (e.g., Census of Agriculture 2020, National Farm Survey), augmenting these with the voice of women in agriculture through interviews and focus groups. This will be used for future guidance for policy design and implementation across all agri-sectors, prioritising inclusivity and gender equality for all women.
Transforming Pasture-Based Livestock Systems Through Improved Design of Multi-Species Mixtures Under Reduced-Nitrogen Regimes
National Lead Researcher: John Finn, Teagasc
Project Funding Awarded by DAFM: €1,215,608 This project was co-funded by DAERA
Background Multi4More investigates and synthesises understanding of plant diversity (grasses, legumes, herbs) and fertiliser effects on multi-species mixtures to enhance agronomic performance and environmental sustainability in forage-based livestock systems under lower-nitrogen conditions. Multi4More will develop targeted knowledge transfer resources.
Two key questions are:
What is the optimal design of grass/legume/herb proportions in multi-species M mixtures for forage and livestock production?
How low can nitrogen application on mixtures go without compromising yield and M quality?
Importance/Value of Research Results will inform the design of multi-species mixtures that optimise; forage production, nitrogen replacement value, nitrous oxide emissions intensity, total nitrogen yield, weed suppression, forage quality, invertebrate biodiversity and soil health. Multi4More uses LegacyNet data from a 38-site experiment to investigate effects of plant diversity on yield and legacy effects.
Multi4More also investigates plant diversity effects on a range of animal performance and environmental impact measurements, including feed intake and digestibility, rumen fermentation, nitrogen excretion and methane emissions.
Statistical Annex
Table 1 Output, Input and Income in Agriculture – Final Estimates, 2021 - 2022
| Description | 2021 € Million | 2022 € Million |
|---|---|---|
| Livestock (incl. stock changes) | 3,992.8 | 4,543.3 |
| Cattle | 2,580.7 | 3,026.8 |
| Pigs | 555.4 | 620.2 |
| Sheep | 367.3 | 377.3 |
| Horses | 301.9 | 314.7 |
| Poultry | 187.5 | 204.2 |
| Livestock products | 3,480.0 | 5,125.9 |
| Milk | 3,397.2 | 5,026.2 |
| Other livestock products | 82.8 | 99.7 |
| Crops (incl. stock changes) | 2,132.5 | 2,616.2 |
| Barley | 282.9 | 484.2 |
| Wheat | 108.4 | 151.4 |
| Oats | 42.9 | 59.0 |
| Potatoes | 174.5 | 163.0 |
| Mushrooms | 127.7 | 129.8 |
| Other fresh vegetables | 120.3 | 131.1 |
| Fresh fruit | 57.6 | 63.4 |
| Other crops | 105.0 | 126.5 |
| Forage plants | 1,113.2 | 1,307.8 |
| Goods output at producer prices | 9,605.4 | 12,285.3 |
| Contract work | 464.4 | 573.5 |
| Subsidies on products | 90.1 | 89.1 |
| Taxes on products | 52.9 | 54.5 |
| Agricultural output at basic prices | 10,106.9 | 12,893.5 |
| Intermediate consumption | 6,143.2 | 7,918.7 |
| Feedingstuffs | 1,798.4 | 2,333.3 |
| Fertilisers | 605.5 | 1,208.0 |
| FISIM1 | 77.3 | 87.6 |
| Seeds | 76.0 | 96.7 |
| Energy and lubricants | 461.2 | 634.1 |
| Maintenance and repairs | 546.8 | 603.1 |
| Other goods and services | 549.7 | 612.7 |
| Crop protection products | 99.3 | 116.2 |
| Veterinary expenses | 355.7 | 352.3 |
| Forage plants | 1,108.9 | 1,301.1 |
| Contract work | 464.4 | 573.5 |
| Gross value added at basic prices | 3,963.7 | 4,974.8 |
| Fixed capital consumption | 1,088.4 | 1,213.2 |
| Machinery, equipment, etc. | 544.7 | 600.1 |
| Farm buildings | 543.7 | 613.1 |
| Description | 2021 € Million | 2022 € Million |
|---|---|---|
| Net value added at basic prices | 2,875.3 | 3,761.6 |
| Other subsidies less taxes on production | 1,679.2 | 1,903.5 |
| Factor income | 4,554.5 | 5,665.1 |
| Compensation of employees | 876.4 | 945.5 |
| Operating surplus | 3,678.1 | 4,719.6 |
| Interest less FISIM1 | 64.5 | 59.1 |
| Land rental | 499.1 | 542.1 |
| Entrepreneurial income | 3,114.5 | 4,118.4 |
| 1 FISIM: Financial Intermediation Services Indirectly Measured. |
Source: CSO, Output, Input & Income in Agriculture Final Estimates, 2022
Table 2 Direct Payments to Farmers (National and EU) Calendar Year 2021 - 2022
| Scheme | 2021 € Million | 2022 € Million |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Payment Scheme | 1,168.11 | 1,182.29 |
| Areas of Natural Constraint | 246.81 | 246.68 |
| GLAS | 187.44 | 178.76 |
| Fodder Support Scheme to conserve fodder 2022 | - | 83.11 |
| Forestry | 67.26 | 70.08 |
| Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot | 40.40 | 39.43 |
| Beef Data & Genomics Programme | 28.89 | 26.80 |
| Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme | 26.09 | 26.52 |
| Sheep Welfare Scheme | 17.89 | 17.58 |
| Pig Exceptional Payment Scheme 2022 | - | 17.18 |
| Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Project | 10.76 | 14.14 |
| Organics | 7.82 | 12.13 |
| Straw Incorporation Measure | 7.68 | 11.04 |
| Tillage Incentive Scheme 2022 | - | 8.56 |
| Dairy Beef Calf Programme | 2.03 | 3.54 |
| AEOS | 0.03 | 3.43 |
| Various disease control programmes | 2.44 | 3.38 |
| Other | 0.05 | 3.30 |
| Horticulture Exceptional Aid (HEPS) 2022 | - | 2.80 |
| Other Locally Led Agri-Environment Schemes | 2.04 | 2.68 |
| Hen Harrier Scheme | 3.66 | 2.29 |
| Pearl Mussel Project | 1.03 | 1.63 |
| Burren Programme | 1.47 | 1.48 |
| GLAS Traditional Farm Building Scheme | 1.08 | 1.07 |
| Other | 0.88 | 0.59 |
| Total Direct Payments to Farmers (National and EU) | €1,823.86 | €1,960.48 |
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Table 3 EU-funded expenditure Managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2021-2022
| 2021 € Million | 2022 € Million | |
|---|---|---|
| European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) | 1,177 | 1,196 |
| Direct Payment/Single Payment Scheme | 1,171 | 1,180 |
| Intervention/Aid to Private Storage | 0 | 0 |
| Other market supports | 12 | 27 |
| Other | -6 | -11 |
| Co-funded receipts (measures co-funded by EU) | 318 | 342.8 |
| European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) | 313 | 339 |
| Veterinary fund | 4 | 2.8 |
| Other co-financing receipts | 1 | 1 |
| Fisheries | 13 | 5.6 |
| EMFF and EFF Fisheries Programme | 13 | 5.6 |
| Total | 1,508 | 1,544 |
Note: Only the EU co-funding on these programmes is shown in this table.
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Table 4 Expenditure on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 2021-2022
| 2021 € Million | 2022 € Million | |
|---|---|---|
| European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) | 1,183 | 1,196 |
| Basic Payment/Direct Payment Scheme | 1,171 | 1,180 |
| Intervention/Aid to Private Storage | 0 | 0 |
| Other Market Supports | 12 | 27 |
| Other | - | -11 |
| Voted Expenditure (excluding Administration) | 1,392 | 1,563 |
| Rural Development1 | 566 | 590 |
| Structural Measures1 | 77 | 88 |
| State Bodies | 306 | 317 |
| Horse and Greyhound Fund | 96 | 94 |
| Animal Health | 122 | 137 |
| Research Quality and Certification | 30 | 39 |
| Market Support Costs | 6 | 12 |
| Forestry and Bio-Fuels | 70 | 74 |
| Fisheries | 36 | 43 |
| Food Aid / World Food Programme | 25 | 25 |
| Brexit Response Loan Scheme | 16 | 18 |
| Other | 42 | 126 |
| Administration | 300 | 331 |
| Total Voted Expenditure (including Administration) | 1,692 | 1,894 |
| Total DAFM Expenditure | 2,875 | 3,090 |
Note: (1) EAFRD Rural Development measures and certain Structural Development measures are part financed by the EU and the Exchequer. These figures are total expenditure on these measures in the calendar year.
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Table 5 Total Payments (Direct and Capital, incl. TAMS) to Farmers by DAFM by County in 2022
| Average Farmer Payment Per County | Total payments | |
|---|---|---|
| County | Rounded to nearest €500 | Per County € Millions |
| Carlow | €21,000 | €39 |
| Cavan | €14,500 | €68 |
| Clare | €16,000 | €95 |
| Cork | €18,000 | €234 |
| Donegal | €13,500 | €114 |
| Dublin | €25,500 | €21 |
| Galway | €14,000 | €168 |
| Kerry | €16,500 | €126 |
| Kildare | €19,000 | €41 |
| Kilkenny | €21,000 | €69 |
| Laois | €18,000 | €47 |
| Leitrim | €14,000 | €49 |
| Limerick | €16,500 | €83 |
| Longford | €15,500 | €38 |
| Louth | €16,500 | €26 |
| Mayo | €12,500 | €140 |
| Meath | €18,500 | €67 |
| Monaghan | €12,500 | €48 |
| Ofaf ly | €18,000 | €49 |
| Roscommon | €14,500 | €77 |
| Sligo | €13,500 | €52 |
| Tipperary | €20,000 | €139 |
| Waterford | €22,000 | €50 |
| Westmeath | €17,500 | €56 |
| Wexford | €19,500 | €82 |
| Wicklow | €21,500 | €44 |
| State | €16,500 | €2,018 |
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Table 6 Total Payments (Direct and Capital, incl. TAMS) to Farmers by DAFM by Province in 2022
| County | Average Farmer Payment | Total Payments by Province € Million |
|---|---|---|
| Ulster | €13,544 | €229 million |
| Munster | €17,811 | €726 million |
| Leinster | €18,933 | €577million |
| Connaught | €13,572 | €486 million |
| State | €16,281 | €2.018 billion |
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Note While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data contained in this publication, in view of the volume of statistical data, some errors may occur. Where these anomalies are identified, the Department will liaise to amend as required.
Acknowledgement Economics and Planning Division wish to thank all who contributed to the Annual Review and Outlook 2023, with thanks in particular to Teagasc and the Central Statistics Office.
Notes:
Notes:
Figure from page 296
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