The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently working on a new strategy statement.
The new document, which will run from 2023-2026, will set out the department’s vision and mission, along with goals, strategic actions and indicators against which progress will be measured.
The strategy comes at a crucial time for the agri-food sector which is facing the challenge of feeding an increasing global population while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving air and water quality.
The department said that the new strategy will have “regard for the external environment in which we operate and our ability to adapt to changing circumstances”.
This includes implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan, climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, the ongoing war in Ukraine, Brexit, and digitalisation.
The new document will reflect the priorities outlined in the Programme for Government, DAFM added.
In addition, the strategy must be cognisant of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and other national policy frameworks.
DAFM
The department said it would welcome the views of the public specially in relation to the following questions:
- How could the department’s services to the agri-food, forestry and marine sector be further enhanced?
- What forthcoming market and other challenges should the department prioritise?
- Are there opportunities, new developments, or innovations that the department should consider when developing the 2023-2026 strategy which would advance the achievement of our mission, vision, and objectives across the agri-food, forestry, and marine sectors?
- What metrics should the department use to measure our performance and monitor achievement of our strategic goals?
DAFM also said that it would be interested in hearing more general views on the strategic direction of the department .
Submissions can be made by emailing [email protected] by Wednesday, March 15, 2023.