23 June 2021
Organic farming
must see a significant increase in funding in order to reach Government-set
targets, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action heard yesterday.
Dr Oliver Moore from University College Cork told the
Committee that Ireland needs to spend well-over the €1 million figure that is currently allocated
on marketing organic food at home and abroad.
A significant increase in funding is needed to
“comprehensively develop the organic sector” with a new plan to reap its
rewards to the climate, he added.
Under the Government’s current plan, Ireland is
targeting to reach at least 7.5 per cent of organic farming in the country by
2030.
According to Dr Moore, the only way to meet that goal
is to allocate more funds to the practice and encourage farmers to move away
from traditional farming.
Other means to improve Ireland’s production of organic
foods would include an organic advocacy group and a regionally-based roll out
approach of organic farming, according to Dr. Moore’s testimony.
He also stated that the organic market scheme only had
an uptake of 300 farmers in Ireland, which he attributed to the significantly
greater financial backing traditional farming receives from the State.
Within the EU, Ireland is trailing behind countries
like Austria, Denmark, Germany and France, where there is a €20 billion
market for organic produce.
Organic
farming and employment
Organic farming also produced a 10-20 per cent higher
employment rate than traditional farming, according to the OECD.
The higher employment rate in organic farming is
attributed to the more intensive labour, as it “tends to replace chemicals with
hands,” said Dr Moore.
However, youth farming organization Macra na Feirme
President John Keane stressed to the Committee that while he held a positive
view towards the practice, the intensive physical labour it requires is what “turns
off” young farmers from organic farming.
Macra na Feirme also noted that consumers are beginning
to drive sustainable practices in farming, as their shopping habits are moving away
from traditionally produced food to organic, sustainable and local produce.
Although the price of organic food tends to be higher,
the consumption of organic produce has increased in recent years, as people
recognise the benefits compared to traditionally produced food.
Organic food is produced without the use of synthetic
herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, and is often fresher because it does
not contain preservatives.
The environmental and ecological benefits of organic
farming have also been recognized as per hectare organic farms have a lesser
impact on the climate than traditional farming.
Over the long term, organically farmed soils emit 40
per cent less greenhouse gases than non-organically farmed soils.
Organically raised livestock are also not given antibiotics,
growth hormones and have access to the outdoors.
Story by
Shauna Burdis
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