Agriculture and air quality: collaborative improvement work in the Pays d’Iroise

On Thursday, December 7, 2023, elected officials and technicians from Pays d’Iroise Community and the Chamber of Agriculture met to take stock of the actions undertaken within the framework of the 2022-2026 partnership agreement on different themes: economy, land use planning, the environment and living together.

This meeting continued with a visit to the farm of Paul Lars, dairy producer in Kerdéniel, in Plouarzel. The aim was to discuss the ABAA “Ammonia Brittany Air Ambient” program. Led by the Chamber of Agriculture and the Air Breizh association, it aims to better define the impact of agricultural practices, and in particular spreading, on air quality on a territorial scale. . Several farmers in Pays d’Iroise are engaged in this innovative approach.

Participants were able to see the air sensor installed by the Air Breizh association on the farm and which continuously measures the concentrations of ammonia and fine particles. The project is halfway through, but the first results have already enabled farmers to develop their practices and adapt the use of different materials. To help them, an “Agrivision’air” application has been developed. It makes it possible to simulate, depending on the weather forecast for the next three days, the nitrogen losses linked to the volatilization of ammonia during spreading. This group of farmers makes it possible, through collaborative work, to build effective methods and tools to improve air quality.