The Irish Organic Association (IOA) has said that the announcement today (Wednesday, January 26) by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine (DAFM) to reopen the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) on February 9, 2022 sends a "clea message" to food business about the merits of the sector.

The scheme is part of the government efforts to have at least 7.5% of Irish farmland under organic production as set out in the Programme for Government.

The scheme aims to capitalise on the growing demand for organic food both in Ireland and other European countries.

Gillian Westbrook, Irish Organic Association CEO, said: “The Irish Organic Association welcomes the department’s plans to reopen the organic farming scheme as a means of incentivising and supporting farmers interested in converting to organic farming.

“Organic market trends both in Ireland and the EU clearly speak for themselves, with Bord Bia reporting sustained growth between 2015 and 2020, which is projected to continue," she added/

"However, for Irish organic farmers and food business to take advantage of these trends, the Irish Organic Association wants to see a clear and concerted effort between the government, the organic sector, Teagasc, Bord Bia and the Irish food industry to win those markets and develop organic value chains both at home and abroad, backed by a strong package of measures under the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] Strategic Plan due in 2023," she concluded.

The OFS provides financial support to farmers to encourage production of organic foods.

To be eligible for payment a farmer must:

According to DAFM, partial conversion of the farm to organic farming is allowed:

The OFA said that 2021 reporting from Bord Bia estimated that the Irish organic market was valued at approximately €235 million in 2020, with an annual growth rate of about 9% between 2015 and 2020.