Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both groups for their presentations. Most people who buy organic products are health-conscious and looking to have a healthier lifestyle. Reports show nutritional differences between organic and conventional products. Fewer pesticides are used on organic products, of which people want the benefits.

I want to focus on the environment and food security. The issue of carbon emissions in the farming sector is often raised by people outside it who point the finger at farmers because they do not understand what is being done and how efficiently it is being done. Notwithstanding what Mr. Lalor said - I appreciate that he was speaking from his own experience - I understand there is a body of research which shows that, in many ways, more energy is used in organic farming which consequently causes more greenhouse gas emissions. A recent report published by the University of British Columbia acknowledges the health benefits of organic food while questioning it in terms of energy use. I wonder about the reality. I like to buy organic products such as garlic and meat, to which I am drawn, but I am not sure when I see the word "organic" on the label that I think anything other than that it looks good. Is it possible that we will find in the context of the Paris agreement, etc., that organic farming is contributing more to greenhouse gas emissions than conventional farming? Mr. Lalor might want to dispute this with me, which is fine.

While it is good for biodiversity, it needs more land and it is more difficult to scale up production because one is not using pesticides and so forth. These are challenges in terms of scale. Similar to what Deputy Cahill said, I also understand that with certain crops there could be up to 40% failure. Perhaps the people are not as attuned to the land and to what is required as the witnesses are. I do not doubt what the witnesses are saying, but some of this has been studied and recorded. In the global picture of what we are generally being asked to do, even though we defend farming and organic farming and want it to grow, to what extent are the witnesses concerned about this from an environmental point of view? Also, as countries are faced with the challenge of food security, there is a push against organic farming because one is looking at more intensive farming which is supported by the conventional methods which, perhaps, are not as beneficial for human health.

Finally, there is the issue of farmers' markets. Is it very ad hocaround the country? One can visit a farmers' market where some people are certified, others are not, there is a question mark over some people and some people might give the impression that their produce is something that it is not. People who visit farmers' markets sometimes think the produce is organic, whereas we know it is not. To what extent do the witnesses work alongside the markets or what connections are there to them? One of the great benefits of farmers' markets is that usually people are getting their produce locally. That helps the environment and also means one is getting produce from land that is nearby. There is a philosophy that the land near where one is from should supply sufficient nutrients to sustain one's health. That is the theory. Perhaps Mr. Lalor wishes to respond.