Farmers and the environment

Sir, — Fintan O’Toole writes “the Economic War of the 1930s was a terrible time for many Irish cattle farmers. But it’s nothing to the environmental wars that are coming in 2030s if we do not act urgently” (“The old Irish way of doing things must become extinct — or else we will”, Opinion & Analysis, July 2nd).

It will not make one iota of difference to our planet if cattle numbers are reduced in this country only to be increased by up to 34 per cent in Brazil — apart from making us feel good, naively, it must be said.

Our economic world is hooked on growth universally measured across jurisdictions as increases in gross domestic product. GDP does not care about the environment or emissions or water quality. All it wants is for the number to increase year on year to keep our world economy afloat.

Until such time as world accounting bodies include (environmental) sustainability indices that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and within an agreed time frame into how firms and economies are judged, nothing will change.