VistaMilk: Quantifying Carbon Sequestration in Irish Dairy Systems

The Role of Soil in Climate, Food and Environmental Systems

Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable food systems and play a central role in addressing global challenges including climate change, food security, biodiversity loss and water quality. As soil underpins agricultural production, maintaining and improving soil health is critical to delivering national strategies such as Food Vision 2030 and Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024.

At European level, there is increasing focus on soil protection through initiatives such as the European Union Soil Strategy, the Soil Mission and the proposed Soil Monitoring Law. These developments will require robust, Ireland-specific indicators of soil health and carbon dynamics.

Globally, soils store approximately 1,417 gigatonnes of carbon, more than twice the amount held in the atmosphere and around three times that in living plants. This highlights their critical role in the carbon cycle and their potential as a natural climate solution.

Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024 sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51 percent by 2030. Improving how soil carbon is measured and managed is central to achieving this goal. While agricultural soils have historically been reported as a net source of carbon emissions, largely due to the drainage of peat soils for farming, improved land management offers strong potential to reduce emissions and enhance carbon storage.

Soil, Water Quality and Biodiversity

Soil management plays a key role beyond carbon, particularly in protecting water quality. The European Union Water Framework Directive identifies nutrient loss, including nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural soils, as a major pressure on water systems. Targeted soil management practices can reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality at both farm and catchment scale.

Soils are also vital for biodiversity, providing habitat for microbial communities that support nutrient cycling, enhance plant health and contribute to long-term carbon storage. Improving soil biodiversity aligns with Ireland’s National Biodiversity Action Plan and supports more resilient agricultural systems.

Phase 1: Building the Scientific Foundation (2021–2024)

The first phase of the programme focused on developing the scientific basis for measuring and understanding soil carbon in Irish grassland systems. This work included:

• Soil carbon monitoring across a range of soil types and management practices
• Measurement of carbon dioxide emissions at field scale
• Integration of remote sensing and farm activity data
• Modelling of carbon, nitrogen and water cycles

A key component of this work built on the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory, which provides long-term measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon dynamics.

Key findings from Phase 1 included:

• Grassland soils can store up to 199 tonnes of carbon per hectare
• Up to 40 tonnes of carbon per hectare are stored below the standard 30 centimetre reporting depth
• Subsoil layers between 30 and 60 centimetres account for 18 to 30 percent of total soil carbon stocks
• Average sequestration rates of 2.34 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year were observed in mineral grasslands
• Soil carbon sequestration could offset up to 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions on an average dairy farm

These results demonstrate the significant, and previously under-recognised, role of soils in climate mitigation within Irish agriculture.

Phase 2: Expanding to a National Programme (2025–2028)

Building on this foundation, Phase 2 represents a major expansion of the research programme, including a new collaboration with industry partners. The programme will deliver Ireland’s first national baseline of soil carbon stocks to a depth of 60 centimetres.

This phase integrates:

• Deep soil sampling across more than 100 Teagasc demonstration farms
• Continuous greenhouse gas measurements from the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory
• Advanced modelling using the Rothamsted Carbon Model, a widely used tool for simulating soil carbon changes

The research also includes resampling of existing monitoring sites to track changes over time, development of a national soil carbon database, and improved modelling frameworks to estimate soil carbon at national scale. A key focus is understanding both the quantity and stability of carbon stored in soils under different management practices.

Strategic Impact and Policy Alignment

The programme aligns closely with national and European policy priorities, including Food Vision 2030, Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024, the European Union Soil Strategy, the proposed Soil Monitoring Law and the Water Framework Directive.

By generating Ireland-specific soil carbon data, the research will:

• Improve the accuracy of national greenhouse gas inventories
• Support the development of country-specific emission factors
• Enable the inclusion of soil carbon sequestration in climate reporting
• Strengthen Ireland’s ability to meet its 2030 emissions reduction targets and longer-term climate neutrality ambitions

Benefits for Dairy Farmers and Industry

For farmers, the programme translates complex soil science into practical insights. With a clearer baseline and improved monitoring, farmers will better understand how soil type, climate and land management influence carbon storage and emissions.

This will support:

• Adoption of practices that increase carbon sequestration
• Improved decision-making through enhanced advisory tools
• Greater confidence in sustainability claims linked to Irish dairy production

There is also potential for new economic opportunities. Improved measurement and verification of soil carbon could allow farmers to benefit from carbon-based incentives linked to long-term soil management.

A Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Dairy

This programme highlights the value of collaboration between research organisations and industry. By combining scientific expertise with practical farming knowledge and industry engagement, it ensures that research outputs are both credible and applicable.

Through this work, soil health is placed at the centre of Ireland’s response to climate change, water quality and biodiversity challenges. It supports a future where environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity are delivered together, reinforcing Ireland’s leadership in sustainable dairy systems.

This work forms part of a broader VistaMilk soil research programme focused on three key areas: soil carbon, soil and water quality, and overall soil health.