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On Monday next, the Government will host a significant conference in Croke Park to mark the progress of the Food Wise 2025 strategy.
Food Wise 2025 shows the world that the Irish agri-food industry has a shared vision and a strong sense of direction and optimism about its future, notwithstanding the significant challenges that lie ahead in the shape of Brexit, climate change and other geopolitical events.
The agri-food sector is Ireland’s main indigenous industry, an industry which is strategically important to the Irish economy, built primarily upon the endeavours of Ireland’s farmers.
The ambition that Ireland should be a global leader in sustainable food production
Delivering opportunities for farmers will continue to be one of the over-arching ambitions of Government strategy, be it through Food Wise 2025, its successors and in terms of our activities in securing a favourable Brexit outcome and renegotiating a new CAP post-2020.
Making sure that farmers are best-placed to derive a fair income from the marketplace is strategically important to the future viability of Food Wise 2025.
To this end, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed is working with the European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan to introduce greater fairness and transparency across the supply chain at an EU level, supported by national legislation. Reward from the marketplace, however, is dependent upon there being a marketplace.
For farmers to fully maximise their returns, it is imperative that there is a strong, diverse and sustainable outlet for their produce. Food Wise 2025 seeks to achieve this aim through growing our exports to €19bn by 2025 in markets across the globe.
Exposure to Brexit
It is well documented at this stage that the Irish agri-food sector is uniquely exposed to the potential impacts of Brexit. Government is working tirelessly on both the political negotiations and on mitigating the immediate commercial impact of Brexit.
It is perhaps testament to the comprehensive and considered composition of the Food Wise strategy that its ambitions in terms of diversifying the marketplace for Irish food and drinks exports is entirely consistent with what any post-Brexit strategy might look like for the sector.
Furthermore, the existence of a high level implementation committee for the strategy chaired by Minister Creed provides the required dynamism to allow the strategy to adapt to changing market conditions in a consultative and collaborative manner.
Competitiveness and innovation, both important themes of Food Wise, are important at every stage of the food supply chain, and will be central to our Brexit response.
I look forward to positive engagement at a critical phase for farmers and industry alike
Competitiveness initiatives, such as the designation of 2017 as the Year of Sustainable Grassland, have focused attention on the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable grassland management.
At food industry level, Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland’s client supports are contributing to in-company leadership and capacity building, helping companies to plan and build scale for the future. The Food Wise innovation recommendations have been translated into the Government’s research agenda.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has invested significantly through its competitive research programmes, and it also funds Teagasc’s research work. This funding is underpinning excellence in public-good research work. However, I should emphasise that, now more than ever, the food industry also needs to prioritise investment in research and innovation.
Global leader in food production
The ambition that Ireland should be a global leader in sustainable food production, building on our natural advantages, is shared by the Government, farmers and food industry alike. Food Wise 2025 states that: “Environmental sustainability and economic sustainability are equal and complementary – one cannot be achieved at the expense of the other.”
Ireland is already one of the world’s most efficient food producers, in terms of carbon footprint per unit of output, but we are anxious to do more.
We are implementing measures to drive down the carbon intensity of our food production even further. Of course, the sector also faces challenging targets and standards in terms of total carbon emissions, air and water quality and biodiversity. We aim to meet these challenges collaboratively by Government, producers and industry.
It is appropriate that one of Ireland’s most iconic cultural and historical venues – Croke Park – hosts the country’s primary industry next Monday.
I look forward to positive engagement at a critical phase for farmers and industry alike. I’m confident that the Food Wise Strategy provides a substantial framework to not only guide the industry through the challenges ahead, but to deliver the opportunities to meet the ambitions of all of those who work in such a committed, dynamic and innovative way in this vital industry.
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