Agri Aware recently commissioned research about our understanding and connection with farming. One in 10 people have never visited a farm and one in three has not been on a farm in the past five years, according to the survey. To me that is pretty healthy and shows that our bond with farming life is quite strong. I am sure those figures are way starker in other European countries where the disconnection between farmer and consumer is more profound.

Elsewhere in the Red C research, there are sure signs that Irish people appreciate the role that farmers play in society and they have a good awareness about where their food comes from. Nevertheless, as the number of farmers dwindles and we become more urbanised, it is natural that we are moving further away from having a strong bond with the land. From a time when our parents came from farming backgrounds, now it is our grandparents. So the role that the likes of Agri Aware plays in keeping farming front and centre among the non-farming public becomes more and more important.

The announcement last week that the 2020 CAP budget is to be slashed is a timely reminder of this. Now the debate begins in earnest about how that money should be spent. Caught in the middle of the crossfire will be active farmers who depend on this income to stay above water. And no doubt along the way to a final agreement the question of actually subsidising food production at all will be bellowed out in the European Parliament. I’d like to think that the majority of European citizens appreciate the role and necessity of CAP, but in an ever-changing world where demands on the coffers in Brussels are coming from more and more angles, you can be sure that the hoary old chestnut perception that farmers are getting money for old rope will be thrown out there.

Already, and predictably, since last week’s multi-annual financial framework budget announcement, there has been online questioning of the idea of Ireland committing more funds to the EU and specifically to fund farming. But anecdotally, I am under the impression that Irish people are clued in when it comes to CAP. They get it more than they did a decade or two ago. It needs to be described and presented as a “food support” rather than a “farm subsidy”. A tweak to the language does make a difference. I also believe that explaining the role of CAP to a sceptic is a slam dunk. So now that it is once again centre stage, it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase CAP in a user-friendly way. It is not just farmers who benefit, every citizen of the EU benefits. It is an opportunity to explain how we get value for money investing in food production on many fronts, from keeping rural communities ticking over to being able to easily avail of affordable local produce.

CAP is far from perfect. Farming in these rural communities is under savage pressure and there are challenges aplenty. But those issues aside, it’s imperative that the likes of Agri Aware gets all the support it needs to keep the positive contribution which farming and food production makes to our country out there. CL

People need to pay more attention to safety instructions

Footage from that plane that had an engine malfunction and subsequent emergency landing in America a few weeks ago showed many passengers unaware of how to fix an oxygen mask on their face. It doesn’t surprise me. The amount of people who blatantly don’t bother watching or listening to the safety demonstration is infuriating. Too cool for school to bother it seems for many.