SUBMISSION FOR HARVEST 2025
ON BEHALF OF THE GREEN PARTY: SÉAMUS SHERIDAN AGRICULTURAL SPOKESPERSON
Ireland: The Green Island
The Green Party welcomes and supports the Board Bia initiative to promote Ireland as a country of green and sustainable food production. Programmes such as the ‘Quality Assurance Scheme’ and ‘Origin Green’ areimportant in securing the future success of our country’s farming and food sectors. However we are still hearing the mantra, that concern and respect for the environment is somehow anti-farming and a hindrance to economic growth. These voices come from many of our farm lobby groups and indeed some government representatives. Instead, we need to see greater leadership and support in emphasizing the importance of respect for the environment and its relationship to the success of our food and tourism sectors. It is now time for all the stakeholders involved, to work together in order to ensure farm security, employment, tourism and rural development within an environmentally and economically sustainable framework.
Balance
In order for Irish agriculture to succeed and thrive in the future Harvest 2025 needs to adopt a balanced approach, supporting different sizes of farms and sustainable methods of primary food production. This balanced approach is also relevant for the various forms of secondary food production and food processing. We caution against promoting the idea that in the future only large farms or processors will survive; the ones who have the capital to afford extra inputs in order to support the increased production targets. We should also enhance our efforts to ensure that all the different enterprises within the food sector have sustainability, social justice and profitability at their core and not only on the label as a marketing scheme. Irish agriculture and food production is strong at both ends of the food spectrum. We have been successful in supporting and growing an industry where we are world leaders in the food processing and food ingredients sector. Likewise we have seen the emergence of a thriving and successful artisan food sector over the last decade. However we are in danger of ignoring the middle. Harvest 2025 should focus on developing and supporting the production and processing of food which provides a balance between quality and price. This is the area we see the most potential for growth and success across all the different farm sectors.
Margins and Growth
We have seen the consequences of increased production in various sectors without due regard for the margins received by the primary producer. Harvest 2025 should focus on margins for farmers and primary food producers as opposed to the focus on growth targets we saw in Harvest 2020. Large food processing companies will always be in favour of an increase in production and a decrease in price paid to producers. This suits food processors, particularly those who work with foods where quantity is of more value than quality.
Government Structure
Consideration should be given to the separation of the farming sectors from food production and food processing. The industry of food processing is becoming increasingly connected with technology synthetic ingredients and science. Its connection with farming is becoming more and more distant. There may be merit in moving government departments and agencies involved in secondary food production and processing from agriculture to trade and industry. Farmers need support and representation to achieve a proper reward and price for their produce. Farming plays a vital role in supporting rural society, maintaining a rich culture and heritage, protecting the environment and promoting tourism. This is opposite to the objectives of many involved in the food industry. Food processing companies are increasingly seeking higher volumes of production at lower prices and quality. The effect of this is very obvious in farming sectors such as poultry and pork. An alternative would be to have a Minister of State for Agriculture and Farming, as part of a Department of Food and Agriculture. Harvest 2025 must be seen to address these opposing interests.
Domestic Growth
Harvest 2025 should seek to increase the national consumption and awareness of our primary and secondary agricultural produce. Developing an appreciation and increasing access to Irish food should be at the forefront of the policy. This is particularly important as food is increasingly becoming an integral part in the development of our tourism sector. There has been a welcomed increase in support from large retailers but further actions are needed.
Creating civic markets similar to the English Market in Cork in our major cities and towns should be given priority. Civic markets create skilled employment, showcase Irish produce, nurture product development, increase local wholesale links, add pride to local produce, are socially important and they also promote tourism and add balance to the dominance of large multiples.
There are emerging cases of co-operative based social food retailing and a detected willingness for expansion. This small but important aspect of facilitating the access to local food will play an increasing role in tackling food poverty in underprivileged areas. Any opportunity to support these initiatives should be taken.
Establishing farm shops, developing farmer cooperation, supporting local branding, creating shared distribution and farmers markets may appear to be small concerns but collectively across the country they can become a significant source of employment and a much needed income stream for many of our small and medium farms. Initiatives like these also play an important role in tourism.
Imported Feed
One of the great challenges for Harvest 2025 will be to maximise our agricultural production and value based on our indigenous inputs. We caution against an increased reliance on imported feeds to increase production.
Routes to Markets and Co-Ops.
An export based agricultural economy with a balanced mix of farm sizes and food producers will prove to be more robust and resilient in dealing with the price fluctuations and unforeseen occurrences that will inevitably come our way over the next decade. In order to maintain this healthy mix we need to facilitate farmers and food producers in developing alternative routes to market. This is true for both domestic and export trade. We need to develop new and smaller food co-ops, civic markets and farmer groups. We need producers to group together and take charge of their own pricing, marketing and production standards.
Meat Consumption
This is an area of the upmost importance. It may prove to be one of the biggest challenges and opportunities for Harvest 2025.The daily consumption of meat, as is currently seen in developed countries, is beginning to be challenged. This is particularly true of intensively reared white meat. There is now an international questioning of the input costs and land use that is required to produce meat for the markets of the developed economies. This trend is emerging from some of America’s and Europe’s leading food commentators. This should not be seen as a threat to Ireland’s meat sector. Rather it should be seen as an opportunity. The decrease in meat consumption will be matched with an increase in demand for quality and sustainably produced produce. The Irish climate and soil fertility give us the potential to expand our farming activities beyond the traditional meat and dairy production sectors. Our farming organisations and government agencies should not be seen to object to the concept of less meat consumption globally. Instead we should strive to be recognised as a country that has developed an understanding of sustainability and global agriculture. If we continue to invest in intelligent and green production we will be able to capitalise on increased global demand for quality.
Social Justice
Over the last decade we have witnessed a welcome increase in consumer awareness of the environment and sustainability. We can now envisage this increased awareness focusing on issues pertaining to social justice. The working conditions and wages of agricultural workers, those involved in deep sea fishing and factory food processors will become a significant factor when consumers and retailers make purchasing decisions. These issues will be increasingly highlighted by main stream media. The continuously expanding popularity of the global social media will also serve to increase awareness. The practice known as ‘land grab’, where large companies engage in the purchase of vast tracts of agricultural land in developing countries, will also come under increased scrutiny. Therefore, we have to ensure that our food companies, particularly those connected to ‘Brand Ireland’ and operate internationally conduct their business with great regard to social justice and the environment. This awareness will strengthen the image of Irish food both domestically and internationally.
Consumer Foods
Food poverty is of great importance currently, both nationally and internationally. Simultaneously there are alarming health problems developing due to the overconsumption of salt and sugar and processed food. It is now generally accepted that the best way to address food poverty, both financially and nutritionally, is to encourage the cooking and use of primary produce. This presents a problem for those companies currently engaged in supplying the convenience food sector. We should encourage our food processing sector to decrease its reliance on highly processed food production. In particular those consumer foods that target consumers from lower social demographics. In the current economic climate we are also witnessing continued growth of consumers questioning the value of processed foods. Sales of domestic products that utilise primary foods such as fruit, grains and vegetables are providing money saving and healthier options. As consumers save money and become more health conscious there will continue to be a growing market for high quality cheeses, chocolates and preserves.
Product Development
Ireland’s population density provides us with many advantages however when it comes to product development, it is a hindrance as it limits the ability of small companies to enter the market and develop. This is a difficult problem to address. Measures such as establishing civic markets and facilitatingfarmer markets can be a vital route to market for young companies. We also have many small public sector groups duplicating roles and resources. There are too many rural development agencies, county enterprise boards, food groups, leader groups etc competing with each other in branding food by county, competing on food trails and financing and advising start-ups. Food and product development might be better served with a more professional approach based on provincial boundaries.
Dairy
The great unknown of life after quota will soon be upon us. While international milk prices are beyond our control, how we market our unique grass fed milk is not. Managing and maximizing the value of our grass as opposed to looking to imported feed may well be the key to success. There is also potential in developing dairy outside the commodity sector, particularly cheese, which can command a good price quality ratio for both farmer and producer.
Artisan Foods
The role that artisan food play in promoting the international image of our food industry should receive continued recognition. The economic contribution of and employment in this sector is continuing to grow significantly. There has been a welcome increase in support for this area from many government agencies in particular The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. We still have the problem that many of these companies rely on exporting to survive. It is also an area that suffers from a lack of transparency in labelling and provenance.
Sheep
The international market for Irish lamb will continue to be a challenge. There are however some opportunities in this sector. Ireland has great potential to develop its sheep milk production. Sheep milk products are a very sought after and valuable global food commodity. The international market for Irish sheep cheeses and yogurts could be significant. We currently have a handful of successful milking flocks providing milk for a few cheeses. There is also an international demand for young milk lamb and quality wool that would supplement milk income. We welcome the emergence of sheep farmers working together along the West Coast. Groups such as Achill, Connemara and Kerry Lamb have great potential. However if they are to succeed in the export market they should consider joining forces and working together. We may see Kerry and Achill as different geographic areas, but our friends and customers in Europe would have a better understanding of lamb produced along our Atlantic coast, if it was marketed under a single label.
Beef
We are fully supportive of the establishment of purchasing groups to represent farmers in negotiating factory prices. However we are concerned that the size of these groups will be too large to be properly effective. We would like to see support given to smaller groups whose function is much wider than price negotiation. In order for beef farmers to receive maximum price quality ratio they must begin to take control of their own marketing and route to market. This is important for developing export and national markets.
Horticulture
Ireland needs to address its current decline in horticulture and its reliance on imported vegetables. Awareness of issues like the environment and social justice surrounding imported vegetables will offer opportunities for indigenous growth. Our access to water and sustainable energy gives our country a unique advantage. Modern technology gives us the potential to develop large scale, temperature controlled vegetable production. If we learn from other countries’ mistakes, and give due respect to biodiversity, complimentary wild flower planting and water use, large scale vegetable growing could have a bright future in Ireland, especially in an era where decreased meat consumption is the central topic of food debate. We need to see the return of garden markets supplying our large urban areas. Over two decades, we have gone from a situation where every farm in Ireland was producing vegetables, to it being the exception. A nationwide initiative to encourage its return would be welcomed. The possible accumulative effect of this initiative should not be underestimated and could contribute greatly to farm health and enjoyment, food security, productive use of waste, and environmental sustainability.
Organic
Organic food production will continue to play an important role in our agriculture. This is particularly true in the absence of any other internationally agreed standards of meat and vegetable production. Increasing support for this sector is vital if we are to develop the image and success of a green farming economy. Organic farming has a vital role to play in protecting the future of our country’s agricultural biodiversity. It plays an important role in rural development and employment. By its nature it is a very successful method of securing a fair price for primary produce. There are many reasons why consumers continue to seek and support organic produce: support and respect for biodiversity and the environment, supporting the work and employment of local producers, the enjoyment of fresh and often interesting varieties of fruit and vegetables and the simple enjoyment of purchasing from the producer. Those who focus on the argument that organic food is no different to conventional produce when it comes to taste and nutrition are missing the point.
Tillage
We feel that reintroducing a sugar manufacturing industry should be carefully considered. With the emergence of a global demand for gluten free produce there are opportunities emerging in growing and processing alternatives. Potato starch production is an alternative which could be introduced in Ireland. Potatoes suitable for starch are in general inedible, but could provide a valuable cash crop and, importantly, they are blight resistant. Oats and oatmeal continue to be a success story for Irish food and are a fine example of producers of various sizes all succeeding in the export market.
Agricultural Craft
This small sector should not be overlooked in Harvest 2025.It is an area that has the potential to create considerable employment and contribute greatly to our rural economy. It could also play a significant role in developing our tourism. Crafts that have their origins in agriculture such as leather work, woodwork and textiles, have for too long been ignored. We are particularly interested in the potential of Irish textiles and leather. We are witnessing a global appreciation for Irish design and we should match this with an ability to supply these sectors with native components. High-end crafts have the ability to create skilled employment and could be a welcome boost to the economic viability of many rural towns.
Tourism
The future success of our agriculture and tourism sectors are intrinsically linked. Harvest 2025 should seek to underline the importance of this relationship. The marketing value of tourists returning home with high opinions of our food quality is a priceless advantage we hold over many of our competitors. Our farming organisations and government agencies need to be much more aware and supportive of the tourism sector. We need much better cooperation and appreciation of the national value of areas such as access, land and scenic conservation and environmental protection. With a big number of accommodation facilities operating in rural Ireland, the Green Party also see potential in developing agri-tourism.