Food safety and security has been identified as one of 25 strategic economic, geopolitical, social, environmental, and technological risks facing Ireland over the short-, medium- and long-term in a new report.
The Irish government today (Thursday, August 3) published its National Risk Assessment 2023, which according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, is a “systematic overview” of national-level risks
that Ireland faces as a country.
The Taoiseach said: “With the return of war to Europe, alongside national and international inflation, and accelerating climate change, the identification and assessment of unpredictable, precarious risk and threats to our country is of ever greater importance.
“Through the National Risk Assessment we aim to bring about greater awareness of risks and increase national preparedness, to ensure the best possible outcomes for our country.”
The report specifically details that a food or drink incident, such as the emergence of a new pathogen, would have adverse consequences for consumer health, national food supply, the international trade of Irish food, and “international movement of live animals”.
It states: “Animal health is also a critical factor in food safety.
“Incidents can occasionally occur along the food chain that impact on food supply and/or food safety such as a major disease in food-producing animals or chemical or microbial contamination of food.”
The report also acknowledges that national food production is “export dependent” and Ireland’s reputation as a “provider of high-quality, safe and reliable food is centrally important to Ireland’s offering”.
One of the threats identified in the National Risk Assessment 2023 is in relation to any “adverse incident” along the food chain nationally, which it details, could “lead to immediate exclusion from certain markets” for Ireland.
“It could take considerable time to recover confidence and market share,” it noted.
According to the assessment, another potential risk for Ireland is its “vulnerability” to supply chain disruptions and it highlighted the war in Ukraine and the impact on global food security and fertiliser shortages as an example of this.
The report states: “Safeguarding the food supply chain, in the face of bottlenecks and a recent increased tendency for protectionism and instrumentalisation of trade flows, along with ensuring the health and welfare of food-producing animals across borders, is of critical importance.
“Failing to do so could pose a significant threat to public health and national food security.”
The list of 25 risks outlined in this year’s National Risk Assessment also includes a number of “diverse and complex” environmental risks.
These include climate change and biodiversity loss and also the overuse of antimicrobials in human health, animal health, agriculture and the environment.