Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with much of what Deputy Eamon Ryan says. We do need to change and I contend that we are changing. We probably need to accelerate the change in many areas. We have, for example, put a lot more money into organics, which by the way is probably less carbon efficient in many ways but it needs to be an important part of our food mix. We have many more indigenous Irish food companies now providing innovative products into local supermarkets than perhaps we have ever had before. We are living in, operating in and building an industry in a Single Market across the European Union so there are things we need to do collectively as a European Union to protect the share of the consumer price that primary producers get. We also need to continue to drive efficiency as well as encourage a change in lifestyle in terms of diet, how we travel, where people live and how they work and in so many other areas that are in some ways part of the 2040 plan and in other ways part of the Food Wise 2025 plan. I am not suggesting that we somehow absolve agriculture from its responsibility in terms of climate change.

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