AIB offers financial support to Carbery and BiOrbic's Farm Zero C ...

AIB has become the financial institution partner of Carbery Group and BiOrbic's Farm Zero C project.

The joint project between the international food ingredients company and Ireland's national bioeconomy research centre aims to create an economically viable, climate neutral model for Irish dairy farming.

AIB will provide financial support towards the research, promotion and public advocacy of the work underway at Shinagh, outside Bandon.

"The necessary transition to a low carbon economy requires leadership, partnership and innovation from all sides," said Colin Hunt, CEO of AIB.

"We are both committed to and invested in facilitating this transition, and in supporting Carbery and BiOrbic through the partnership announced today. The success and output of Farm Zero C presents tangible and important outputs for every aspect of our food production system across the farming community.

"It feeds into our food exporting economy and Ireland’s reputation as a sustainable food producing nation. The ongoing work at Farm Zero C has global relevance and we are delighted to partner with all stakeholders on this important work.”

The Farm C combines a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the productivity and resilience of the farm.

"We are excited to have AIB on board with us on this project. We have a great partnership with BiOrbic and strong scientific expertise on the project," said Jason Hawkins, CEO of Carbery.

"The AIB contribution will allow us to make further progress, and most importantly, to communicate the work underway and the potential benefit to a wide range of stakeholders, including most importantly farmers and the agri sector."

Kevin O'Connor, director of BiOrbic, said: "Farm Zero C is about bringing together farmers and pioneering research to help achieve climate neutrality, but in a way that keeps farming as a viable profession.

"We are proud to have AIB on board as a partner and that they can also see the importance of this work. We continue also to have support from Science Foundation Ireland, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine."

The interdisciplinary programme of work targets soil and grassland; animal diet and breeding; biodiversity; life cycle analysis; and renewable energy.

It is also considering business models planning to ensure all proposed interventions are commercially viable and looking at the potential for carbon trading to be integrated within a low emission farm model.

The project, co-led by Carbery and BiOrbic with support from partners including UCD, Trinity, Teagasc, and MTU, has received €2m funding from Science Foundation Ireland under the Zero Emissions Challenge.

Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved funding of €3m to develop an anaerobic digester and grass biorefinery on the site.

Shinagh Farm, owned by the four west Cork co-ops, is the site of the project. The farm milks 250 cows on a 250 acre platform.

Commenting at the launch, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said: “I want to extend my congratulations to Carbery Group, BiOrbic and AIB for coming together on such a magnificent project that has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector through innovative new farming practices and technology.

"Agriculture represents a key part of the Irish economy, sustaining incomes, jobs and communities throughout all parts of the country and it is important that we enable the sector to be both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

"This project rhymes very well with the ambitions set out in the Climate Action Plan and I want to commend all those involved, who are leading the way in the transition to a net zero economy.”

Photo (l-r): Cormac O’Keeffe, chairman of Carbery ; Aoife Healy O’Driscoll, farm sustainability manager at Carbery; Michael McGrath; Colin Hunt; Cathy Keenan, business development and commercialisation officer at BiOrbic; Kevin O’Connor; John Holland, COO at Carbery.