Farming Case Studies Prepared by Ireland NRN

23/06/2011

The Ireland NRN has produced two interesting case studies which explore the issues of retirement amongst older farmers and changing attitudes to farm waste.

Also recently published by the NRN is a report undertaken by their Biodiversity Working Group.

Facilitating and Encouraging Older Farmers to Retire:
Formally retiring from farming can be described as a recent phenomenon as the traditional agrarian culture of resilience resulted in many farmers continuing to work into old age. As ownership and management of significant tracts of farmland remained in the control of the older generation, the entry of younger trained farmers was delayed or sometimes denied altogether. Policy makers concerned with the age profile of farmers recognise the need to encourage the planned transfer of assets and to offer alternatives to the traditional route of inheritance. Schemes such as the Early Retirement (ERS) and Installation Aid for young farmers have been quite successful in encouraging farmers to retire but little is known about the extent to which farmers have actually adjusted to the concept of retirement. This case study explores the experience of retirement for farmers who retired through the ERS.

Changing the Attitude Towards Farm Waste
The brief of the National Rural Network (NRN) includes: to demonstrate the effectiveness of measures taken under the RDP on changing attitudes to various issues which affect rural Ireland and the rural economy. One of the issues identified as being of concern to the rural economy is the issue of farm waste. In the context of this programme, farm waste is the term used to describe slurries, manures and organic fertilisers produced by livestock and livestock production systems, for example, cattle slurry, farmyard manure, silage effluent and soiled water.

Biodiversity as a Resource in Agriculture and Rural Development
This report explores the actual and potential for 'biodiversity as a resource in agriculture and rural development'. The report was undertaken by the Biodiversity Working Group established by the National Rural Network. The content of the report was informed by national and international research but most significantly by the input, knowledge, experience and expertise in this field of the members of the Working Group.

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