Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate. It is timely with respect to organic farming, which contributes to the protection of the environment and climate and the long-term fertility of the soil, as referenced by Senator Daly who rightly placed great emphasis on it. It also relates to having high levels of biodiversity, a non-toxic environment and high animal welfare standards and, therefore, it must be of concern to this committee. Before I ask a few questions, I am conscious that the IFA submission stated that 2.6% of Ireland’s agricultural area is under organic production versus the European norm of 7.5%, which is quite low. Those are very low numbers and that must be disappointing. Clearly, we must be more ambitious. We would be familiar with the move to transforming food and farming through the EU organic action plan 2021 to 2027. We are also conscious of the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. The programme for Government references increasing the amount of land we would use in organic production. Therefore, what are the issues? Much of it is about knowledge transfer. When we look back to 50 or 60 years ago, rural Irish farmers were practising organic farming. They did not have certificates of organic production. They left school at the age of 13 but they knew the land and the soil, and about animal husbandry. They knew what worked for them, which was particular to their land and given set of circumstances. There is much to be said for looking back at some of those practices. Farmers must be progressive in all areas, including in terms of generating food. One of the guests spoke about a stimulus package. What did they mean by a stimulus package? I would like to hear more about that. Clearly, we must do something. I am also mindful of knowledge transfer and innovation and I think we are missing something there. Are there enough market outlets for the smaller producers, particularly those engaged in organic vegetable, salad and food production? I go to organic markets every weekend.

I see producers throwing stuff out on a Saturday or Sunday evening. There are not enough marketplaces. I speak to a lot of producers who say that there are not opportunities to sell really high-quality organic, albeit seasonal, vegetables and fruits and that they do not have a place to market them. The big question I want to ask the two organisations is whether there is a case to implement some sort of policy or restriction that would ring-fence or set aside a percentage of Bord Bia's marketing budget for the promotion of organics. I am interested in the experience with Bord Bia one of our guests described. I have heard of others but I am still very supportive of Bord Bia and its work. It does good work. There are conflicts from time to time, of which we hear reports. Will both organisations share with us the measures they believe could be taken to market organics? If one does not have a marketplace and marketing budget, one will not be able to sell produce successfully. I am interested in having more produce but also in the stimulus package the organisations would suggest to achieve this increase. I do not believe 7% or 8% is ambitious enough. On an island like ours, there is capacity and capability to achieve a much greater increase.