A seven-week public consultation process on the new strategic plan for the development of the organic sector has been opened today (Monday, July 10).
The National Organic Strategy 2025-2030 will outline the roadmap to secure a resilient organic food and drink sector to supply growing domestic and export market demand.
Submissions on Ireland’s new strategic plan for the development of the organic sector up until 2030 can be made until the deadline on Friday, August 18, 2023.
There are 200,000ha under organic production in Ireland, which represents 4% of the utilisable agricultural area (UAA), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said.
The government set a target to achieve 7.5% of the total land area farmed organically by 2027, while the Climate Action plan target is to achieve 10% organic land area by 2030.
Organic strategy
The Organic Sector Strategy Group chaired by Padraig Brennan is tasked with developing this strategy for the development of the organic sector for the period up to 2030.
It is expected that the organic sector strategy will be presented to Minister of State, Pippa Hackett in the first quarter of 2024, according to the DAFM.
Announcing the opening of the public consultation process, Minister Hackett said:
“This is an opportunity for all stakeholders and members of the public to contribute to the development of a new strategic plan for the development of the organic sector.
“The strategy will incorporate sectoral and cross-sectoral recommendations, market developments, training and education, public awareness and wider EU policy.”
The strategy aims to build on the recent expansion of the sector and provide clear direction for further growth of the organic sector towards 2030, Minister Hackett said.
As the forum sets out to develop a new strategic plan for the organic sector, it is important to fully understand the views and asks of all interested stakeholders, Brennan added.
Organic sector promotion
Earlier today, a call for “innovative proposals” to promote the benefits of organic farming in Ireland was launched by Minister Hackett.
€1.5 million has been allocated to support projects which are based on the EU Organic Action Plan.
Among the suggested projects are: Encouraging conversion, promoting organic produce in schools and canteens, improving traceability, and preventing food fraud.
The call for the period 2023-2024 will be open for applications from until July 28, 2023.