The next strategy for the Irish agri food industry is likely to be published in draft form by the end of November and go out to public consultation for six to eight weeks, meaning it is unlikely to be in place before the end of January 2021, according to committee chair Tom Arnold.

He was speaking in Tuesday afternoon’s second 2020 Vision webinar and explained that work on the strategy has been frustrated by the delay in knowing what form Brexit will take.

Two further meetings are scheduled this month, from which a draft report will be published. This will then go out to public consultation, so working on it being released by the end of this month, then we could expect that it will be finalised by the end of January.

Difference with Foodwise 2025

When asked to compare the 2030 strategy with its predecessor, Foodwise 2025, Tom Arnold pointed out that the strategies will reflect the totally different time this is, compared with 2015 when Foodwise was launched.

It was against the background of milk quotas ending and therefore more production-focused. Now we have to develop a strategy that fits into the different EU framework of the Farm to Fork strategy and green deal.

The addition of COVID-19 to the mix makes it completely different circumstances entirely. The new strategy must have “a high level of visible sustainability”.

Cheap food and sustainability

Tom Arnold agreed with the suggestion that food may be too cheap to be sustainable, but that “we have no option but to go for the higher levels of sustainability that we can demonstrate”.

Picking up on the health element of the discussion, he hinted that the 2030 strategy will have an element of the contribution that the products Ireland produces included in it.

He also suggested that the 2030 strategy will look to a more diversified Irish agriculture, with forestry, organic farming and tillage playing a part.

Responding to an audience question on the environmental contribution of tillage being overlooked, Tom Arnold responded that the environmental benefits of tillage are clear and it will be part of the strategy for 2030.