Organic farmers in Ireland should have priority access to agri-environment and eco-schemes, in order to support environmental and climate objectives that go beyond the scope of the organic regulations, a report by Organics Europe has recommended.

Organics Europe is the umbrella body for EU farming organisations and co-ops in the sector.

“CAP funds should be adequately deployed to support organic specific advice and training, infrastructural investments and market development and promotion,” it said.

In terms of growth in the sector, the report found that if Ireland was to increase the area under organic land to 12% by 2030

Some 1.5% of Irish farmland is under organic production and between 2014 and 2019, there was annual growth of 8.5%.

Almost 74,000ha are certified as organic, with €8m paid out in 2018 to farmers in the sector. In terms of growth in the sector, the report found that if Ireland was to increase the area under organic land to 12% by 2030, it would require 10 times the current expenditure, some €80m.

In 2018, the conversion or maintenance support was paid on 97.3% of certified organic area at €111/ha/year, which is below the EU27 average of €213/ha/year.

In the next CAP, Organics Europe has called for the costs of converting to organic to be fully recognised and for funding levels to be increased to reflect the full costs of organic production.

Budget

The budget for organic farming going forward should be aligned to Ireland’s national area target, it added.

At EU level, it said achieving the 25% organic land target in the Farm to Fork strategy would require the EU to triple its organic land area, increase its overall CAP expenditure three-to-five-fold by 2030 and dedicate up to 15% of the CAP budget to organic.

Even if the target to be reached in nine years is very ambitious

Copa-Cogeca, the EU body representing farmers and co-ops, has said that clear direction and concrete options will be needed for farmers to reach the 25% organic land target.

“Even if the target to be reached in nine years is very ambitious, there are ways to improve the share of organic farming in a system that must remain market driven,” it said.