Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 October 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion

Dr. Maria Snell:

Yes. We all have responsibility. Everybody in the food chain from the primary producer to the consumer has a role to play and must contribute. No one person will solve this. It is critical we all work together. It is easy to see if we can follow the food chain through and there is greater transparency and understanding. There are situations where market tools can be used to our advantage but they must be used appropriately and with fairness and transparency. It is not fair on a farmer to produce goods, work to guidelines and be severely audited to make sure they have quality produce when it is marketed as less than that. There is a disconnect.