Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

There are challenges, particularly within the Irish market. We are in the middle of a difficult recession and people are looking very carefully at what they buy. However, there are significant opportunities not just in Ireland, but also abroad. In Germany, the figures for organic consumption increased dramatically over the last two years. If we look across the water to the UK and Germany there are huge opportunities there. There has been a dip within the State over the last year or 18 months, but I remain confident that there is increasing consumer interest in organic products. There is much more discussion about where products originate and I think there is a strong future for the organic sector not just abroad, but also in the Irish market.

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