Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

The Food Harvest 2020 report was developed by an industry-led committee which comprised key figures from the food and drink industry, state agencies, academia and the farm bodies. The report, which was published in July 2010, contains the industry vision for the sector and sets ambitious targets for expansion in the decade to 2020. It contains 215 recommendations aimed at achieving sustainable growth, increased efficiency, higher productivity and competitiveness.

Following publication of the report, a high level implementation committee, HLIC, was established by the previous Minister to ensure integration and focus between industry and State agencies in meeting the targets. Activation groups for each of the dairy, beef and horticulture sectors report to the HLIC on progress in this regard. The Minister wholeheartedly embraces the Food Harvest 2020 strategy and, as chair of the HLIC, is totally committed to ensuring its success.

The report is not a plan or programme as defined in Article 2 of Directive 2001/42/EC rather an industry-developed strategy which sets out its vision for the future of the sector. The report contained a recommendation that a strategic environmental assessment should be carried out. In considering how best to implement this recommendation, the HLIC recognised that the targets could be achieved in a variety of ways. Accordingly the committee determined that an environmental analysis of various scenarios related to the implementation of the recommendations in Food Harvest 2020 was the most appropriate analytical approach to an environmental assessment.

Following a competitive tender process, which was published on e-tenders, a contract was last month awarded to a team of consultants to carry out this analysis. Under the terms of the contract, an interim report is to be prepared by the end of July with the final report to be presented to the HLIC by end of October 2012. Under the terms of reference, the likely impacts of achieving the report's targets on the following environmental characteristics-issues will be assessed - biodiversity; flora-fauna; water, including groundwater quality; soil; air quality; landscape; and climatic factors, including impacts on greenhouse gas emission levels. The outcome of this analysis will inform the sectoral expansion envisaged under Food Harvest 2020, and guide its achievement in a manner which takes account of the associated environmental implications.

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