Mr. Martin Keane:

I apologise to my colleague, Mr. Farrell, for failing to introduce him earlier. He is the agri-executive with the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society. There was some very interesting commentary and I do not disagree with much of it. The international objectives can be very crude and have blanket approval. That is why we must demonstrate quite clearly that the carbon footprint of food production should be measured against units of production. It is about how much of an impact we are making per unit of production, relative to the rest of the world. The European Union has acknowledged that our production methodology is such that we are probably 40% more efficient than average across Europe with milk and we are rated very highly with beef as well, where we are probably in fourth or fifth place per unit of production. The point was very well made about the proportionality of the agricultural impact in Ireland because of the absence of other industry. Agricultural activity as a result leaves a huge footprint on the Irish landscape but we might have an eighth of the impact of the UK agricultural footprint on its emissions. This comes down to its industrial and transport sectors etc. having such a big impact. We must concentrate our energy on demonstrating how we should be measured per unit of production rather than the proportionality of our impact overall.

The question was asked as to how to demonstrate on the international stage that Ireland can be seen as a place of destiny for food production and a partner of choice. We are clearly doing that on a daily basis. We export to approximately 160 countries and they demonstrate through action that they recognise the provenance, sustainability and quality assurance of the Irish product as second to none. The customers are selling the product and message for us in that regard.

Members mentioned colleagues in the agricultural community in Europe in forums such as Copa-Cogeca very much align their thinking on the likes of the challenge of Mercosur. Some people would sing the benefits of having a new market opened, with agriculture as one portion. We know that getting licences for exports and meeting veterinary responsibilities etc. could take years. Somebody might dress it up as an opportunity for one sector but it is a major disadvantage for another. It will be a detrimental move from the perspective of those countries that produce food, especially with respect to provenance, traceability and other standards that we should and have to live up to.

Our customers dictate that they need safety, quality, etc. Our view is that anyone who has access to that market, and to those precious customers, should live up to the same standards of production and quality that we do.

Deputy Cahill mentioned the role of bio-digesters in Europe. It has been observed that the current indoor systems are more factory farming type operations, which facilitated the advancement of the technology. We must learn from that. Due to the family farm structure here, and rural Ireland in particular, and the depth that it goes into rural communities, the co-operatives must play a function and role in some collaborative endeavour to develop the sector. The size of farms in this country probably dictate that it is probably uneconomic to use such technology on a single unit basis. That situation is to our advantage because, as we have said, the family farm methodology here is a strength. We need to find a mechanism that will bring a number of family farms together, under some type of co-operative structure, and have an anaerobic digester in common usage in an area. A lot of work needs to be done in this sector and we must learn from the mistakes made by other people.

In terms of derogation and the water framework, the Deputy is on the money and I agree with him that it is essential that we continue. The dairy Ireland forum has been established and is comprised of all of the major players in the industry, including the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, farm organisations, the farming industry, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The aim is to have their representatives meet in the one room and they share the one objective to improve and do better at what we are doing. There is a big job of work to be done. The initial engagement with the farming community has to be positive and be a collaborative approach. First, we must identify the challenging areas and then find a solution rather than simply try to find a culprit.

I concur with what Deputy said about the municipal authorities. There is a huge amount of discharge that is not up to international standards and, therefore, a lot of money is required to improve the situation. We also have citizens in rural Ireland who have septic tanks. People would be very mistaken if they thought the problem was confined to agricultural activities. It is a matter for society too. The initial engagement is critical. I welcome the approach that has been taken.

In terms of the governance structure and how to bring the various agencies together, such as the co-operatives, Teagasc, the EPA and local authorities, the way that body of people is facilitated and managed will be critical. We must ensure that the message delivered and approach adopted is consistent. The initiative is a very good start and is one that we must encourage. ICOS needs to be at the core of decision-making process to ensure that it works. The demonstration of a successful collaborative approach was the success of the sustainable dairy assurance scheme, SDAS. Earlier, it was mentioned, that almost all of the beef and dairy products that are produced here are quality assured to a very high standard.

With the permission of the Chairman, I ask my colleague, Mr. Farrell, to talk about afforestation and some of the blockages to that industry.