Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Draft Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027: Discussion
Dr. Oliver Moore:
It is good to have a decent target to reach. That 7.5% would bring us up from where we are currently, which is a very low level. While there would be the occasional case of very big organic farms taking over areas, so to speak, in general it is not really a problem. Organic farms tend to increase diversity, employment, biodiversity and a range of things in rural areas. If we manage to bring in more organic farming, it will work well. We have a long grazing season and that suits organics. I understand the payments are low for beef and sheepmeat, but with increased payments in those areas, farmers could easily move across to organic. They need extra supports and payments. That would be a full spectrum of supports from all the areas I mentioned earlier, including production, processing, third level, marketing and public procurement. There is a whole suite of areas. I am glad to see-----
No comments