The Dealer was astounded and dismayed in equal parts to see Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett is to speak at a Green Party webinar titled “We need to talk about Factory Farming”.

The event on 25 September, includes representatives of the Kimmela Centre for Animal

Advocacy, Compassion in World Farming and Ethical Farming Ireland.

They will outline the “level of factory farming currently happening in Ireland” while Minister Hackett will discuss “alternatives to intensive agriculture, including organic and regenerative farming”.

With Ireland’s average dairy herd less than 100 cows and the average suckler herd at 19 cows, The Dealer contacted the Department of Agriculture and the Green Party to ask what they define as “factory farming”.

Ag House responded to say that the event was a Green Party policy group event “and so is not a matter for the Department” but added that none of its officials will be taking part.

The Green Party told the Dealer that it “acknowledges that there are different understandings/interpretations of the term “Factory Farming” and that Irish law follows EU Directives for regulation and control of farming at certain intensities.

“For the purposes of this event, the policy group defines factory farming as the practice of rearing animals in an intensive manner, usually indoors, in an artificial environment for the production of food.”

As a politician and Minister of State, one would assume Minister Hackett would be aware of how important both language and optics are. I’m gobsmacked that she thought putting her name to an event that uses such loose language was a good move.