Europe should not allow the Mercosur trade deal to take place, instead, Ireland should “lead the way” in producing beef for Europe, Farmers’ Alliance spokesperson Helen O’Sullivan has said.
The deal, which would allow for an additional 99,000t of beef from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to enter the EU tariff-free, would be “detrimental to Ireland”, she said.
Ratification of the deal has been stalled due to concerns raised by member states, including Ireland, regarding deforestation in Brazil, and the potential impact of imports on the EU beef market.
However, the president of the European Commission and the Brazilian president have reaffirmed their commitment to ratify the EU-Mercosur trade deal “as soon as possible”.
Mercosur
O’Sullivan accused the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen of being “hypocritical” by rushing to ratify the deal despite the EU’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Claiming that von der Leyen “wants to put European farmers out of business” by rushing to ratify the deal to allow “Brazil to export 99,000t of beef” to the EU tariff-free, the Farmers’ Alliance said:
“Is climate change not happening in Brazil?
“Why does Ursula von der Leyen think it’s ok for Brazil to cut down the world’s lungs to make way for beef production while she seizes production in Europe due to climate change?”
Last month, a new EU regulation came into force under which certain goods, including beef, exported or placed on the EU market must be “deforestation free”.
Under the new law companies will have to confirm that the product has been produced on land that has not been subject to deforestation or forest degradation after December 31, 2020.
Operators and traders have 18 months to implement the new rules, and the European Commission will benchmark countries to assess their risk of deforestation.
Irish beef
The Farmers Alliance’ spokesperson criticised that by agreeing to the Mercosur trade deal, Ireland would contribute to global emissions by importing products from the South American countries.
Due to Ireland’s grass-based system, Irish beef is the “most sustainable in the world from an environmental perspective”, according to O’Sullivan.
“Why would you want to replace this with unregulated, untraceable beef from thousands of miles away?” she added.
“Instead of closing down rural Ireland, Ireland should lead the way in producing beef for Europe and beyond as we are the most sustainable, most regulated and most traceable [producer].
“In return, we will reduce global emissions, create employment and have a healthy population. Do not use Irish beef as a sacrificial lamb,” the Farmers’ Alliance spokesperson said.