AI and policy changes every Irish farmer should be tracking

Policy doesn't make for exciting reading. But if you don't track what's changing, you find out when a payment is delayed or a penalty lands.

Here are five policy areas shifting right now. None of them require panic. All of them are worth understanding before they affect your farm directly.

1. The EU AI Act — what it means for farm software

The EU AI Act came into force in 2024 and is being phased in through 2026. It's the world's first comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence. Most of it targets high-risk sectors like healthcare and policing, not farming directly.

But it does affect farming software indirectly. Any AI tool that makes decisions about credit, insurance, or regulatory compliance falls under the Act's rules. If your farm management software uses AI to assess your eligibility for something, the company behind it now has to explain how that decision was made.

What this means for you: You gain a right to understand why an AI tool gave you a particular result. If a farm finance app rejects your loan application using an AI assessment, the provider must explain the reasoning. You don't need to do anything right now, but know that this protection exists.

What to do now: Nothing immediate. But if any software tool gives you an automated decision you disagree with, you can ask for an explanation. The company is legally obliged to provide one.

2. CAP reform and digital requirements

The current CAP Strategic Plan runs to 2027. The mid-term review is underway and digital reporting requirements are increasing with each cycle.

DAFM has been steadily moving scheme applications online. BISS applications already go through agfood.ie. ACRES payments require geo-tagged photo evidence in some cases. The direction is clear — paper-based submissions are being phased out, and digital compliance is becoming the default.

The next CAP period, expected to start in 2028, is likely to require even more digital record-keeping. The European Commission has signalled that satellite monitoring, digital field records, and automated cross-checks will play a larger role in compliance verification.

What this means for you: If you're comfortable with online applications and digital records, you're already ahead. If you rely on your advisor or a family member to handle the digital side, now is the time to build that skill yourself — or at least understand what's being submitted on your behalf.

What to do now: Make sure you can log into agfood.ie independently. Check that your BISS and ACRES records are up to date. If you haven't used the system yourself, ask your Teagasc advisor to walk you through it at your next meeting.

3. Carbon reporting and sustainability tracking

Ireland's Climate Action Plan commits to a 25% reduction in agricultural emissions by 2030. That target isn't optional, and the reporting requirements are tightening.

Bord Bia's Origin Green programme already requires sustainability assessments for participating farms. Teagasc's MACC (Marginal Abatement Cost Curve) identifies specific measures — protected urea, low-emission slurry spreading, improved animal genetics, clover incorporation.

What's changing is that carbon accounting is moving from voluntary to expected. Meat processors and dairy co-ops are increasingly asking suppliers to demonstrate sustainability credentials. Some are linking premiums or access to markets to verifiable carbon data.

What this means for you: Your carbon footprint is becoming a factor in what you get paid and who you can sell to. This isn't a distant possibility — it's happening in current supplier contracts.

What to do now: If you haven't completed a Bord Bia sustainability assessment recently, do it. Talk to your Teagasc advisor about the MACC measures that apply to your system. Start keeping records of any changes you've made — protected urea, slurry methods, clover sowing. Those records will have value.

4. Data privacy — who owns your farm data

This one catches people off guard. Every farm app, sensor, and platform you use collects data about your farm. Herd numbers, field boundaries, milk yields, input costs. Under GDPR, you have rights over your personal data. But farm operational data sits in a greyer area.

The question of who owns the data generated by farm technology is not fully settled in EU law. Some platforms claim broad rights to aggregate and use your data in their terms and conditions. Most farmers never read those terms.

The EU is working on agricultural data governance frameworks, and the Data Act (effective September 2025) gives users more rights to access and port data generated by connected devices. That includes farm sensors and IoT equipment.

What this means for you: You should know what data each tool collects, where it's stored, and whether you can export it. If a company can use your data to sell insights to third parties, you should know that before you sign up.

What to do now: For every digital tool you currently use, check whether you can export your data in a standard format. Read the data section of the terms of service — or ask the company directly: "Can I download all my data? Do you share it with anyone else?"

5. Digital submissions becoming mandatory

This is the simplest change and the one with the most immediate impact. DAFM is moving towards digital-first for all scheme interactions. Paper forms are being phased out progressively.

Animal identification and movement reporting through AIMS is already digital. Herd registration, TB test results, and movement notifications are handled online. The remaining paper-based processes are being moved to digital platforms on a rolling basis.

For farmers who are already comfortable online, this changes nothing. For those who aren't, it creates a real access issue that needs addressing now — not when the paper option disappears.

What this means for you: Within the next few years, nearly all your interactions with DAFM will be digital. That includes applications, compliance records, and payment queries.

What to do now: If you're not confident with online submissions, contact your local Teagasc office about digital skills support. They run programmes specifically designed to help farmers get comfortable with these systems. Don't wait until the paper option is gone.

The big picture

None of these changes require you to become a technology expert. But all of them require you to pay attention.

The common thread is that farming is becoming more digitally documented. What you do on your land will be tracked, reported, and verified through digital systems — whether you choose those systems or they're chosen for you.

The farmers who engage early get to shape how they use these tools. The farmers who wait get told how to comply.

Three things to do this month

1. Log into agfood.ie and make sure your details are current. If you've never logged in yourself, ask your advisor to walk you through it.
2. Check your data rights for any farm app you use. Can you export your records? Do you know what the company does with your data?
3. Talk to your Teagasc advisor about carbon reporting. Ask which MACC measures make sense for your system and start documenting what you're already doing.

None of this is urgent today. All of it will be by 2028.

Official advice: Policy details change frequently. Always verify current requirements with DAFM or your Teagasc advisor before making decisions based on policy information. DAFM → | Teagasc →