One farm, 100+ cows and a commitment to telling Ireland’s dairy story
How third-generation Irish dairy farmer Niall Moore is farming for the next generation
When 140+ countries demand dairy from Ireland, what impact does that have locally?
World Without Cows: The Pasture Paradox takes an inside look at Ireland’s pasture-based dairy landscape, a global model for sustainable production, as producers work to meet growing demand for grass-fed dairy while protecting the land and water they depend on.
Grass-fed efficiency
Ireland by the numbers
0
liters of milk
produced in 2025
produced in 2025
0
+
family-owned
dairy farms
dairy farms
0
dairy cows, ~1.2 million of which are concentrated in eastern and southern regions
0
%
of dairy
produced exported
produced exported
€
0
billion value of dairy
exports in 2025
exports in 2025
0
+
countries importing
Irish dairy products
Irish dairy products
"Farmers care about the environment. They cared about it then, and they care about it now. We’re guardians of this land."
Niall Moore
Third-generation dairy farmer, Co. Waterford, Ireland
“It's been incredibly difficult to
keep on top of developments that
are happening. As a sustainability
professional, if I find it
challenging, I can only imagine the
overwhelm that must exist at farmer
level.”
Lisa Koep
Chief ESG Officer, Tirlán, Co. Killkenny, Ireland
“We’ve really seen a change in the
narrative in Ireland. A change from maybe resistance and a
reluctance at one stage — probably a
little bit of denial of the issue — to a complete transformation and
recognizing this issue needs to be
addressed.”
Laura Burke
Former EPA General Director, Co. Wexford, Ireland
Liège Correria, sustainability director, JBS Brazil
"We have an enormous capacity to produce food, but we still face challenges. And the size of the challenge matches the size of the opportunity we have as a country."
how green can one country be?
Scale
Brazil is the world’s #1 beef exporter. It supplies 1 in 5 kilos of beef traded globally and holds 40 million hectares of degraded pasture — an area the size of California. The country is working to increase production on existing pasture through better management rather than expanding into forested areas.
Safeguards
While headlines often accuse cattle ranching of driving deforestation, few outside Brazil know that ranchers must comply with one of the strictest environmental laws in the world, requiring them to preserve 20–80% of their land. The Forest Code balances productive farming with conservation, requiring producers to preserve native vegetation, protect sensitive areas like riverbanks and restore illegally cleared lands.
Solutions
Agriculture accounts for 80% of global deforestation. Brazilian ranchers are helping shape a more sustainable future. Restoring degraded pastures can sequester carbon, rebuild soils, protect watersheds and increase productivity without deforestation.
Stories
Beef ranching is vital to Brazil’s culture, and its ranchers are stewards of the land interested in preserving their family’s agricultural legacy. They love the land, and they are committed to preserving it.
Scale
Brazil is the world’s #1 beef exporter. It supplies 1 in 5 kilos of beef traded globally and holds 40 million hectares of degraded pasture — an area the size of California. The country is working to increase production on existing pasture through better management rather than expanding into forested areas.
Safeguards
While headlines often accuse cattle ranching of driving deforestation, few outside Brazil know that ranchers must comply with one of the strictest environmental laws in the world, requiring them to preserve 20–80% of their land. The Forest Code balances productive farming with conservation, requiring producers to preserve native vegetation, protect sensitive areas like riverbanks and restore illegally cleared lands.
Solutions
Agriculture accounts for 80% of global deforestation. Brazilian ranchers are helping shape a more sustainable future. Restoring degraded pastures can sequester carbon, rebuild soils, protect watersheds and increase productivity without deforestation.
Stories
Beef ranching is vital to Brazil’s culture, and its ranchers are stewards of the land interested in preserving their family’s agricultural legacy. They love the land, and they are committed to preserving it.
how green can one country be?
Production
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Teagasc, Ireland’s dairy sector maintains one of the lowest carbon footprints globally, estimated at about 1.02 kg CO₂e per kilogram of milk. Much of that efficiency comes from Ireland’s rain-fed pasture system, where cows graze outdoors for the majority of the year.
Pressure
Irish dairy producers have built one of the most efficient dairy systems in the world. As global demand for animal protein is projected to rise 20% per capita by 2050, Ireland is one of the few places equipped to meet that demand responsibly. This leadership in sustainable dairy production is recognized globally, but lesser understood are the pressures that come with it.
Paradox
The grass that powers Ireland's dairy success is also where one of its most important sustainability responsibilities begins. That's because maintaining the productivity of Ireland's pastures requires the use of nitrogen — the same nutrient that is putting pressure on the country's historically pristine rivers and waterways. This tension has become an increasingly complex challenge within one of the world's most efficient and sustainable food systems.
Progress
Across Ireland, family-owned farms and co-ops, researchers and policymakers are holding each other accountable for maintaining the country's high environmental standards. EPA monitoring shows signs of progress, with about a 10% reduction in river nitrate levels in 2024. While 44% of monitored river sites still exceed nitrate limits for healthy ecosystems, progress is underway and the work continues.
get Facts
Download our fact sheet to learn more about Ireland’s pasture-based dairy system — including the sustainability challenges, environmental progress and innovative practices shaping the future of one of the world’s most efficient dairy sectors.
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Complete the form below and stay connected for the latest updates, including the global release of the complete World Without Cows documentary midyear.
Explore
Few places tell the story of sustainable dairy production better than Ireland. Learn more about how Irish dairy farmers are balancing their role in meeting the growing demand for animal protein while protecting the land and water they depend on.
Built on grass: How Ireland’s pasture-based dairy system became a global model
From bog butter to global export powerhouse
World Without Cows Ireland: The Pasture Paradox is a companion mini-doc produced by the filmmakers of World Without Cows, a feature-length documentary that examines the cultural and economic significance of cows, their role in feeding the world and their impact on climate.
Through interviews with farmers, ranchers, scientists and other experts, award-winning journalists Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth take viewers on a global journey to ask: how do cows actually affect humans, the environment, and the planet we all share?
World Without Cows releases globally mid-2026. Want to be among the first 1,000 screenings? Let us know you’re in.