Mr. Padraig Fahy:

On behalf of the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, IOFGA, I thank the Chairman and committee members for giving us the opportunity to comment on the recommendations made in the report of the previous joint committee and the challenges facing the organic farming sector. The IOFGA was established 35 years ago by a group of farmers who wanted to have certification of their organic production before the first EU regulations were even developed in 1992. The regulations have changed considerably since in line with consumer demand. However, to this day the IOFGA remains the largest organic certification body, owned by its members, with a democratically elected board of directors which is representative of the various sectors - farmers, growers, food and industrial processors, retailers and multiplies. A total of 70% of the board are active farmers, while the remaining 30% are processors or retailers, and all are organic licence holders. It is a not-for-profit company with a legal constitution. No one on the board is self-appointed; each member is elected at the annual general meeting for a duration of three years. That is what makes the IOFGA truly representative of the sector.

The IOFGA is one of two certification bodies that specialises in organic production, as well as organic processing. The certification of the farming system cannot be viewed in isolation from processing and retailing as it is interconnected and inspected as such. EU regulations and consumer confidence require that the entire organic food chain be certified, not just farms. That is what makes the organic certification system unique from any other system and that status is recognised internationally. It is governed by EU law and inspections must correlate what happens beyond the farm gate to ensure the integrity of the product is maintained. That is what the law and the consumer require. To provide for this level of certification, the IOFGA employs a professional, highly committed and specialised staff, from food and farm science to regulatory affairs and policy, as well as the valuable input from stakeholders such as the board and certification panel.

I have an 11 ha farm in Ballinasloe and employ 14 staff. I am also a participant in the Bord Bia quality assurance scheme which is very valuable as it is a private standard marketing tool with no legal basis, unlike the organic certification system which is exclusively based in law and covers the entire supply chain. Consumer confidence in organic certification is everything and it is essential that the integrity of organic systems be maintained.

Organic certification and the accompanying logo is of real value to my business. It is what puts my products on retail shelves, in Ireland and abroad. I will hand over to the chief executive officer of IOFGA, Gillian Westbrook.