Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 July 2021
78. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of agricultural land in the State that was in organic production or conversion to organic production at the beginning of 2021; the amount in production or conversion to date; and the target output by the end of 2021. [38156/21]
View answerThe area of land under organic production at the beginning of 2021 was approximately 74,000 hectares, the vast majority of which has completed the in-conversion process. This is an increase of nearly 50% in the area of land under organic production since 2014.
A total of 317 applications were received under the 2021 Organic Farming Scheme. As the Basic Payment Scheme applications have not yet been finalised, the organic area of these applications is not yet available. Based on the average size of organic farms however, I believe there will be an additional 16,000 hectares brought into the Scheme in respect of these applications. This will equate to an increase of over 20% in the area of land farmed organically in 2021.
I will continue to progress the implementation of the National Organic Strategy 2019-2025 which sets out ambitious growth targets for the sector by aligning it closely with market opportunities. There is a strong correlation between this strategy and the EU Action Plan which is to increase consumer trust in organic food and to promote the conversion to and maintenance of organic farming methods.
The current Programme for Government has set a new target for organic farming, to meet changing consumer trends in this area. While the EU Commission’s objective of reaching at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 is ambitious, there is a commitment to align Ireland’s organic land area with that of the current EU average of approximately 7.5% over the lifetime of this Government. The Programme aims to focus on developing domestic and international organic markets, to ensure that farmers have access to premium-paying markets for their produce.
The Programme for Government also focuses particularly on maximising potential opportunities in the organic sector, the supply of quality Irish grains to an expanding food and drinks industry, and opportunities for home-grown proteins in animal feeds.
