Irish grain can help cut emissions in milk production

Irish-grown grain has significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in livestock farming, according to Teagasc experts. While tillage crops occupy only about 7% of Ireland’s agricultural land, the country harvests 2–2.4 million tonnes of grain annually. Yet feed demand is much higher, prompting imports of around 5 million tonnes of maize, soybean meal, distillers’ grains and other ingredients — many of which carry a higher carbon footprint due to lower yields, transport distances and land-use change in exporting regions.

The AgNav platform, developed by Teagasc, ICBF and Bord Bia, helps farmers measure and optimise their emissions. Data from AgNav shows that Irish grain has one of the lowest carbon footprints globally, at 170–250 kg CO₂e per tonne. Incorporating straw residues improves soil carbon sequestration, with crops such as oats and winter wheat sometimes nearing a net-zero GHG balance. Fertiliser efficiency and high yields remain the main drivers of emission reductions per tonne of output.

Replacing imported feed ingredients with Irish-grown cereals can substantially reduce the carbon footprint of dairy and meat production, particularly when imports originate from regions associated with deforestation. The average Irish dairy cow consumes around 1.25 tonnes of concentrate feed a year, much of which can be substituted with local barley, oats, wheat and beans without compromising nutritional value.

Calculations show that replacing 64% of feed ingredients with native grains lowers the carbon intensity of ration feed by 50% — from 0.83 to 0.42 kg CO₂e per kilogram. This translates into an annual reduction of about 520 kg CO₂e per dairy cow, or around 7.4% less emissions per kilogram of milk solids. Crucially, these gains require no capital investment or changes in herd management — only adjustments in sourcing and formulation.

Although Ireland cannot fully meet its national feed demand with local grain, supply is sufficient to significantly increase its share in rations across many herds. This strategy strengthens food system resilience, reduces reliance on imports and enhances the sustainability profile of Irish dairy, even if embedded emissions from imported feed are not counted in Ireland’s national GHG inventory.

Tags: grain, wheat, Ireland, compound feed