Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North West Barry Cowen has said that support from the European Commission for wind energy projects on Ireland’s west coast, the retention of the nitrates derogation and a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that focuses on fair income for farmers to incentivise improved food production are key to tackling food security.
MEP Cowen made the comments following Agriculture Committee meetings in Brussels. He said: “Food security is a Europe-wide issue and to effectively tackle it, input costs and prices must come down, but they are still at high levels in part due to high energy costs.
“I have said many times that our west coast offers the potential to not only serve Ireland’s energy needs, but also to help Europe in its efforts to become less dependent on Russian gas.
“I strongly encourage the European Commission to provide support for pan-European sustainable power generation projects, particularly wind developments on our west coast, as unless energy prices come down, meeting food production needs will become even more challenging.”
Future for food security
As the start date for CAP negotiations nears, MEP Cowen also called for a CAP that places the implementation of fair income for farmers at its core.
He said that such a focus would incentivise improved food production. “All stakeholders recognise the need to increase production and to do so in a sustainable way.
“The EU has a responsibility to ensure our production systems align with our environmental ambitions as well as consumer sentiment.
“To fulfil that mandate, farmers, their families, producers, processors, and distributors must be able to make profits to thrive, expand and achieve this ambition.
“We need a CAP that reverts to its roots and delivers on its original remit to implement fair income and incentivise improved food production,” he added.
Funding
Cowen said that there must also be a separate funding stream with an environmental aspect that builds on the objectives of the CAP.
“This separate and distinct fund must reward farmers that convert to ongoing and new EU environmental schemes,” he continued.
“The EU Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture specifically mentioned the need for additional funding outside the CAP budget and such a fund would supplement the climate and biodiversity fund in Ireland.”
The Fianna Fáil MEP said retaining the nitrates derogation is key to the focus on sustainable food production.
He said: “Our ability to continue our focus on sustainable food production and enhance our reputation as a quality producer, processor, and distributor of world-class food and drinks is dependent on the political will of our EU partners.
“Partners who recognise our progress realise the timeframe originally set aside for the Water Framework Directive to 2027 is not sufficient.
“However, these EU partners can see that we are on an upward trajectory, that the state and the farming sector are redoubling efforts, which do point to meeting the original targets, but doing so by 2030 rather than 2027,” Cowen added.
“Our government and all our MEPs, of all parties and none, are united in our efforts to win political support across the [European] union for the deadline to be extended, thus retaining nitrates derogation.”