One of the great challenges in an open democratic society is that of accepting that your own fervently held view (e.g., assuming something is a ‘lobby’), is highly unlikely to be the only valid one on any particular subject.
Indeed, for many people, the definition of an open democratic society is one that tolerates diversity of opinion.
Reading an article in the Irish Times recently, I can only conclude that for the media outlet, the opinion of farmers about how they produce their output is, first and foremost, to be dismissed.
Not necessarily based on what farmers are saying, but because of its origin; the view of farmers and the farming community is, according to the Irish Times, the outpourings of the ‘farm lobby’ or even more specifically, the dairy lobby.
‘Lobby’
I don’t know which is more pathetic, the name-calling associated with attributing everything that farmers say as coming from ‘the farm lobby’, or the editorial belief that describing the views of farmers and their representatives as being a lobby will ensure that the beloved Irish Times reader is given the heads up that they are not to attribute any credibility to such views.
This overall messaging from the newspaper, is not just dismissive of farmers’ views or aspirations about their own business, but in categorising this view as a ‘lobby’, it seems the media publication does not trust its readers to make up their own mind about Irish agriculture.
I believe that the Irish Times’ view seems not only hellbent on ignoring and dismissing actual farmers and their representatives from giving a fair account of their concerns, but utterly ignores the economic impact of the agri sector across the Irish economy.
The moniker of being a ‘lobby’ is not the only guidance that the Irish Times gives its readers concerning developments in Irish farming in recent years.
The dairy lobby is also regularly accused of pursuing growth and more specifically, intensification.
Indeed the article stated that “the dairy industry has been on an expansion path since the lifting of EU quotas in 2015 that is incompatible with the state’s new Climate Action Plan and the drive to curb agricultural emissions”.
No mention is made of the fact that the increase in milk output since EU quota abolition, was official government policy from 2010 onwards.
It has seen spending in the Irish economy from the dairy and meat sectors increase by almost €6 billion per annum, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The article also failed to mention that the state’s plan to curb emissions is not only based on cow number reductions, but can be achieved by reducing emissions per cow as per the Teagasc marginal abatement cost curve (MACC).
But I suppose if you describe a view you don’t share as ‘lobbying’, you don’t have to deal with such information.
Intensification?
As regards intensification, what the Irish Times never told its readers is that while the average Irish dairy herd is now nearing 100 head, the average dairy herd in Northern Ireland is 140, Scotland 200 and England/Wales 160, while in New Zealand, the average is just under 500.
Furthermore, could I suggest that if the media outlet had an agricultural correspondent, not only might its view on agriculture be more rounded, but such a person might have attended the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) climate summit in Limerick recently.
In attending the summit, the newspaper might have been able to discern and report even, that not only are farmers well underway in implementing carbon reduction measures, but that emerging science and measurement is producing very positive information in relation to grass-based dairy and beef production in Ireland.
This science is also positive about the potential for better validation of sequestration capability in Irish grassland.
What a more informed, non-dismissive view of Irish agriculture would show is that while Irish farming accepts it must reduce its emissions footprint, the global demand for sustainably produced Irish meat and dairy products is growing.
But, if you dismiss everything from the agri sector as a ‘lobby’, you can adopt a policy of blissful ignorance and continue to promote the notion that agricultural emissions can only achieved by reducing cow numbers.
This would be backed up by the superficial view that in an Irish economy dominated by multinational gross domestic product (GDP) flows, Irish agriculture is easily replaced and would not be missed.