Stability of income could be 'catalyst' to boosting Irish food security
The Green Party has called on the government to act as the country faces looming costs of food and a food security crisis following a summer of drought and wildfires across Europe.
Speaking today (September 15) at the National Ploughing Championships, TD and Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said a business-as-usual model of agriculture in Ireland will not cut it as this year’s Ploughing is set against a perfect storm of challenges for Irish farming.
He said: “Irish households need food to be produced here as climate change and the cost of fossil fuels put pressure on food supplies across the globe.
“We don’t believe that government gets the seriousness of the unfolding crisis.
“We are among the most food insecure countries in Europe, reliant primarily on export-orientated beef and dairy while our horticulture sector is in crisis.
“Irish households could over time be insulated from rising food prices by having the option to buy more Irish grown and reared food locally.”
Basic income scheme
The Greens are proposing increased investment in the horticulture sector, addressing labour shortages and extending the 'Basic Income Scheme for the Arts' to small scale producers and growers.
The TD for Dublin West said: “Stability of income could be the catalyst to not only keep the growers we have but attract new entrants to grow staples that we need, bring employment to rural areas and reduce imports of food that we can easily grow here.”
The party has also drafted a bill to help address the issue of food labelling.
The ‘Mercosur Meat Labelling Bill 2026’, if enacted, would create an onus to clearly label a meat product as being from a Mercosur country.
Also speaking at the Ploughing Championships, Senator Malcolm Noonan, the party’s spokesperson for agriculture, nature and water, reiterated the party’s call for the Climate and Nature Fund to be reinstated.
He said that the €650 million set aside for nature restoration by the Greens in government needs to be found in Budget 2027.
The senator added: “This money must be found and put in place to develop long term schemes for farmers to restore nature on their land and improve water quality.
“Moving towards more regenerative practices will ultimately help shield them from future flooding and heat related weather too.”
Senator Noonan went on to discuss the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.
He said: “We are not just calling on Minister Heydon and government to help negotiate for no reduction in the next CAP Budget, we are saying too that the next CAP Strategic Plan for Ireland must be radically different than previous plans.
“It must work for nature, for water quality, for climate and for Irish farm families.
“The summer just gone should be our wake-up call, and we know that Irish farmers are good at adaptation and innovation, but they need a much more supportive environment than this government is offering.”
Agriland has a packed schedule of events taking place at our tent this year, so be sure to drop by at Block 4, Row 10, Stand 184.
