A Health Impact Assessment of the 2024 Climate Action Plan's Measure to Expand Ireland's Organic Sector

The Climate Action Plan is the Irish Government’s roadmap to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 51% against 2018 levels by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Under the national Climate Action Plan (DECC, 2024), the agriculture sector must achieve a 25% reduction in GHG by 2030. One of the policy objectives to support this target is the expansion of Ireland’s organic sector (DECC, 2024). To implement this objective, the Plan includes a specific action for the provision of “financial support to farmers who convert to organic farming,” (DECC, 2024: 295). The fourth Climate Action Plan (2025) was published while undertaking this HIA, with a continuation of the action to support organic farming through financial support to farmers (DECC, 2025: 126). It is expected that expanding the organic sector will assist in reducing fertiliser and pesticide use (DECC, 2024) and contribute to improved ecosystem health. A health impact assessment (HIA) has been undertaken on the policy objective ‘Expanding our Organic Sector’ from the Climate Action Plan (2024: 295). The purpose of this HIA is to (i) assess and report on the likely significant effects on the health of organic and conventional farmers in Ireland stemming from the objective to expand the organic sector, (ii) make recommendations to negate adverse health impacts and enhance opportunities for health gain and (iii) identify any health inequalities and recommended how these inequalities can be mitigated and addressed.