Green Party: Focus on quality, not quantity, and watch Irish farming thrive

22nd February 2016

The Green Party today promised to prioritise small and medium sized farmers, and family farms as they launched their Food and Agriculture Policy.

Speaking today, Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan said: “Farming and agriculture have a vital role to play in the regeneration of rural Ireland. We need to support our small and medium sized rural farmers, and unlock their true potential. Irish farming can thrive by embracing a truly Green brand. Agri-food is also Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and the main economic driver in many rural areas. There is still great potential to expand this sector by providing premium quality food, more jobs and added value through lower intensity farming.”

Green Party Spokesperson on Food and Agriculture, and candidate in Galway West, Séamus Sheridan said: “We need to shift the focus away from the corporate food sector, and food processors, and prioritise small and medium sized family farms. If Ireland is to have a robust, resilient agriculture sector, we need to move away from the maximum quantity, minimum price model being offered to farmers, and offer them good prices for high quality produce.

“We need a Minister of State for Farming standing up for small and medium farmers within the Department of Agriculture, balancing the power that large food processors have.

“The Green Party would make sure that every town in Ireland has a Civic Market, where local farmers could sell their produce, and balance the monopoly that big retailers enjoy.

“It is essential that we promote our local, native produce. The benefits for the economy, rural Ireland, consumers, and health can be huge.”

 

The Green Party’s proposals on Food and Agriculture:

• Promote organic food production, especially focusing on import substitution, to achieve a target of 5% of land in organic agriculture by 2021
• Keep Ireland GMO free. The consequences of these technologies are not fully understood, they promote monoculture and the patenting of seeds threatens public access to safe and nutritious food
• Develop publicly owned food markets in cities and towns to encourage more direct selling from producers to consumers
• Support the generally extensive, grass-based nature of cattle, sheep and goat production in Ireland – the planned increase in production under the revised CAP must be achieved without compromising that
• Support methods of adding value to beef production – such as finishing young bull beef and veal production at home – which can add value in the region of €300m and reduce live exports
• Give higher priority to habitat creation and protection in farming policy, rural environment schemes and development planning
• Scrap green/marked diesel regime in favour of a tax rebate payable to farmers or other persons now entitled to use marked fuel
• Encourage farmers to move to a polycultural grazing systems which reduce carbon emissions and help pollinators
• Encourage community involvement in food growing through community gardens, school gardens and allotments provided by local authorities at affordable rents
• Press for local food procurement policies to be allowable under EU and World Trade Organisation rules as well as compulsory labelling of country of origin – including main ingredients in processed food
• Support the development of a national soil strategy that prioritises soil protection and appropriate management practices
• Introduce schemes across primary and secondary schools aimed at educating children about all aspects of food (selecting, meal planning, preparing and growing your own)
• Ensure that school vending machines only supply healthy snacks.
• Reduce food waste by working with producers to reduce supply chains and through public education programmes
• Promote the development of community supported agricultural systems and encourage access schemes for young farmers who do not have title to their own land
• Zero food waste – introduce legislation to ensure that all misshapen and still edible foodstuffs are donated rather than dumped (as is the case in France)
• Use local farmers to supply produce for the Green Party’s School Dinners Policy, guaranteeing them a price for seasonal produce