Ms Grace Maher:

I thank the Senator for the question. I am only here to speak on organic horticulture but I concur with much of the sentiment that is being expressed at this meeting. We do not receive funding as an organisation; we are a voluntary organisation. Certainly the OGI operates on a shoestring in that context. We do, however, receive funding for an internship programme that we developed in 2014. That was really to react to a lack of training opportunities within the sector. It is running seven years and 48 interns have gone through the programme, with many of them gaining employment opportunities directly on organic farms so that is a success story.

I will also address Senator Paul Daly's question on the seeds. The whole area of organic horticulture is actually a success story. Sales are growing exponentially and producers are finding it very hard to keep up with market demand. This is an issue, as Senator Paul Daly raised, of running into barriers where we cannot supply what the market is demanding. Going back to what Deputy Leddin said earlier about emissions, at the moment in the horticulture sector we are still importing 70% of organic fruit and vegetables sold in Ireland. Thus, when we talk about climate and emissions, that is something that really needs to be addressed. We have under 200 members. Per the statistics from the Department on organic growers, there are 385 certified organic growers in the country. They are supplying every aspect of the retail chain. They are supplying the big supermarkets, the major multiples, the catering sector, independent specialists and stores, online sales, market sales and importantly, they are dealing directly with consumers. Consequently, they are very much on-trend with consumer needs and what consumers want and Irish consumers want more local organic produce. The stats from Bord Bia indicate that in 2020 sales of organic fruit and vegetables in Irish multiples increased by 38%. As a result, it is a huge opportunity in terms of markets. As Deputy Leddin said, it is a no-brainer, and the embarrassingly low level was mentioned earlier by Deputy Carthy. We really need to address this issue. The opportunities are there and from the OGI's perspective, we would like to see more support for training.

Senator Paul Daly mentioned the whole seeds area. We are seeing opportunities there. We have some interest from some of the indigenous seed companies which see that Europe is serious about organics; whether Ireland is or not is another matter but Europe certainly is. If 25% of land area is certified organic by 2030 all of those organic farmers need to use organic seed, so we in OGI would certainly like to see some national funding being directed towards organic seed development and to organic seed breeding programmes specifically. That could be through public private partnerships but ideally we would love to see participatory programmes. These happen in other European countries and consist of farmers, growers, plant breeders, seed companies, researchers and everybody involved along the way in developing seeds and varieties which are suitable to the Irish climate. Unfortunately, most of the research we are dealing with at present tends to come from other European countries.

We need more research and more education. You cannot do a third level degree in organic farming in Ireland, and in this day and age asking people to go into an industry when they cannot get a third level qualification in it is something out of the dark ages. We need to get real on education. The market opportunities are there. The problem in the organic horticulture sector is that growers simply cannot keep up with demand. If you grow good-quality organic vegetables and fruit, they will sell. That is not only the anecdotal experience of small growers but also the message coming from the buyers at multiple levels. Put Irish-grown organic produce on the shelves and it will sell.

Some of our growers are involved in the EIP project to which Ms Westbrook alluded earlier. That has been a phenomenal success in improving on-farm efficiencies and supplying more product into the sector. Collectively, we just need to see some support. As I outlined, many OGI members are not in receipt of any payment, so something like the small farmers scheme, which is adopted in other EU countries, may be an option. We need support right throughout the supply chain, from training and research to marketing opportunities.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak, Chairperson.