Press Statement - CSO Launches new Agri-Environment Indicator Resource

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (25 February 2025) launched a new online resource for information on Agricultural Environment.

Agriculture will play an increasingly important role in addressing climate change, making it essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of its impact on climate, environment, and biodiversity. As the demands and guidelines for sustainable agricultural practices continue to evolve and grow, reliable Agri-Environmental statistics are critical. The CSO is addressing these data needs with a new easy to use Agri-Environment Indicator landing page which contains the most up-to-date information on key themes.

Agri-Environment Indicators are essential tools for understanding the dynamic relationship between agriculture and the environment. They not only measure the environmental impact of agricultural activities but also highlight how ecosystems positively contribute to agricultural production and society.

Commenting on the launch of the Agri-Environment Indicator resource, Dr Nele van der Wielen, Statistician in the Agriculture Section, said: “Agri-Environmental Indicators (AEIs) are essential tools for understanding the dynamic relationship between agriculture and the environment. This one-stop-shop provides easy access to a comprehensive list of AEIs across various themes monitored and reported by the CSO in one central space, which include:

• Agricultural Land Use 
• Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Condition
• Climate and Environmental Impact
• Economic and Social Development
• Resource Efficiency and Management of Natural Resources
• Soil Health 
• Water Quality 

These themes were developed based on a review of various policies including Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan and the Climate Action Plan. Each theme contains a set of indicators generated by the CSO, which can be found under their respective categories, with links to the statistical tables on the CSO’s open data portal, data.cso.ie (PxStat) and the relevant releases. These accessible indicators will help inform users on Ireland’s progress in meeting policy goals.
This work is an ongoing process as the CSO continues to identify data gaps related to the agricultural environment. The online resource will be expanded as further indicators are developed.”