Food security must now be top of the agenda for the Food Vision dairy group, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

IFA dairy chair Stephen Arthur made the remark ahead of the third meeting of the new group on Monday morning.

The dairy group was set up last month and has been tasked with creating a strategy to stabilise and then reduce carbon emissions from the dairy sector.

Rethink

Arthur described how there must be a “complete rethink as regards the objectives of the [dairy] group”.

“[The] IFA has been clear from the start that we would not accept the imposition of any blunt instrument to curtail [agricultural] production. However, the whole landscape has now changed with the war in Ukraine and the risks this poses to food security.

“While [the] IFA is committed to the adoption of technologies to reduce emissions per unit of output, we must be mindful of any impacts these measures may have on food production,” he said.

Reassess

The IFA highlighted comments made last week by European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, who outlined the possible need to reassess the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The IFA dairy chair said: “Some recent media reports about the [dairy] group having discussed a limit on cow numbers is not accurate. No such discussion has taken place. The Minister may very well have this in mind, but it has not been presented to the group, or discussed at all.

“It’s clear that there is an attempt being made to condition farmers through strategic leaking.

“Instead of inhibiting dairy and livestock production in Ireland, we should be taking advantage of our superior climate efficiency credentials and excellent climate for growing grass.”

Read more

Nothing off the table to ensure feed security