Farming Fishing and Food Security

Successive governments have betrayed our farmers and fishermen. They have obediently followed directives from Brussels without challenging destructive policies that have pushed our fishing industry to the brink of collapse and left our farming sector teetering on the edge.

Measures such as the recently enacted Nature Restoration Law and the reduction in our Nitrates Derogation will push many farmers beyond their limits.

The devastation of these vital industries isn’t just about lost jobs and livelihoods; it’s about the decimation of our rural communities as young people flee to urban areas or abroad in search of employment. It also jeopardises our food security, forcing us to rely on imported meat and dairy products.

The EU’s trade agreements with South America, particularly Mercosur, unfairly favour countries with large industrial factory farms and cheap labour, undermining our grass-based agricultural system. These agreements promote environmentally harmful practices, such as deforestation in the Amazon to meet European demand for meat.

Despite initiatives like the TAMS scheme aimed at attracting young people to farming, EU policies like the mandatory culling of 200,000 cows make it increasingly difficult for them to succeed. Unless there is a change in direction from the EU and the Irish government, our farmers will be driven out of business, and Irish consumers will be left with inferior quality meat from foreign sources.

Farmers have been unfairly scapegoated, lacking a platform to voice their concerns while the media disproportionately amplifies the views of academics and environmental activists. Our representative bodies have failed to adequately defend farmers’ interests, and some have even endorsed detrimental policies. It’s time for farmers to have a voice, and now they do.

Irish farmers are proud to be among the most productive, sustainable, and humane farmers globally, with a reputation for the quality of our products.

We refuse to allow EU bureaucrats to undermine our farming and fishing industries.

Our priority is to promote local production, consumption, and distribution of farm and fish produce, bolstering existing markets and facilitating the creation of new ones.

We will provide support to small enterprises, such as farmers’ cooperative societies and craft butcheries.

Our aim is to alleviate the administrative and regulatory burdens on farmers, allowing them to sell locally without compromising food safety for customers.

We are committed to representing the concerns of all categories of farmers in Ireland, including beef, lamb, vegetable, grain growers, and organic farmers.

We will assemble a Farming Working Group comprising top representatives from each sector to collaborate on developing a comprehensive policy framework that fosters their prosperity.

Farmers Alliance serves as the voice of farmers and advocates for policies that safeguard our agriculture and fishing industry, preserving our food security.

We stand firm against any measures that threaten to undermine these vital sectors.