Dr. Oliver Moore:

I will cover a number of different areas, the first of which is the process. Ireland’s CAP strategic plan was submitted to the European Commission. The Commission will assess this plan, and reply to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This feedback, known as observation letters, will be made public. This is a final opportunity to bring our CAP plan more into line with its own strategic environmental assessment, SEA, and with the more ambitious targets of our recently adopted climate action Act. We need to continue to strengthen ambition while bringing everyone into the process. My colleagues have outlined the issues in more detail. To be clear, we have one final opportunity to get this right before we are stuck with a CAP until 2027.

In the SEA evaluation of strategic alternatives, both organic farming options, namely, reaching our organic targets and organics, agroforestry and extensive farming, scored the highest environmentally. The organic budget and annual opening of the organic farming scheme, OFS, are to be welcomed. However, the plan is to continue with the current structure for implementation, which is preparing to fail, frankly.

Ireland has among the lowest rates of organic farming in the EU. We must address a number of issues. Payment rates for farmers in the organic farming scheme are far too low. They are about 50% of what is required to be competitive, with the exception of-----