Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 September 2020
244. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the industrialised business-led model of agriculture here which has led to a biodiversity, climate and water quality crisis, in addition to a substantial decline of small family farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24678/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) carry out a census of agriculture every 10 years and a Farm Structure Survey (FSS) every 3 to 4 years. According to CSO data, the average farm size has remained relatively stable over the past decade or more with the average farm size of 32.7 hectares in 2010, 32.5 hectares in 2013 and 32.4 hectares in 2016. Over the same period, the number of farm holdings has also remained relatively stable with 139,860 farms recorded by the CSO in 2010, 139,600 in 2013 and 137,500 in 2016. In the 2016 FSS, the CSO indicated that of the 137,500 farms in Ireland, 137,100 (99.7%) were classified as family farms and that almost 43% of farms in Ireland were less than 20 hectares in size.
Water quality in Ireland is generally considered in good health. However, the latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality in Ireland Report has identified a further decline in some catchments. Ireland has a regulatory framework for the protection of water by nutrient losses through the Nitrates Directive and the Nitrates Action Programme. Ireland's current Nitrates Action Programme concludes in 2021 and the process of reviewing the Nitrates regulations and derogation will commence soon and will be subject to consultation with all stakeholders. There is a commitment, and most importantly, a plan in place to reduce losses of nutrients from agricultural sources.
I would accept that there is a significant climate challenge facing society globally, and agriculture must do its share to respond to this challenge. The Programme for Government commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade) and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Every sector is expected to contribute to meeting this target by implementing policy changes, and the special economic and social role of agriculture and the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane, as described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will be fully recognised in plans to achieve these targets. The agri-food sector has a strong foundation on which it can build to develop new practices, technologies and strategies to reduce its emissions. Many of these will also have co-benefits in terms of improving the productivity and efficiency of agri-food businesses, and indeed in terms of other environmental co-benefits. Taking a system wide approach can thus improve their environmental, economic and social sustainability
I am acutely aware of the enormity of this challenge for the sector and for this reason, I believe that the successor strategy to Food Wise 2025 can play an important role in providing a framework for helping to realise this ambition. The Stakeholder Committee established to develop the new Strategy to 2030 are currently carrying out their deliberations. Their terms of reference are to outline the vision and key objectives, with associated actions, required to ensure the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the agri-food sector in the decade ahead. I have already met with the Committee itself and I am satisfied that their work will make a very important contribution to ensuring the sustainability and viability of the agri-food sector.
The Programme for Government has committed to publishing the new strategy within six months of Government formation. It also stated that the strategy should provide an ambitious blueprint for the industry for the years ahead, adding value sustainably in the agri-food sector into the future, and supporting family farms and employment in rural Ireland. There is also a commitment to ensure that, in addition to growing international markets and value-added export as a key priority, a strategic focus of the strategy will be on environmental protection, reversing biodiversity decline and developing additional market opportunities for primary producers, closer to home.
