The next iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which starts in 2023, aims to foster a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector that can support the livelihoods of farmers and provide healthy and sustainable food for society, as well as vibrant rural areas.
Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2023-2027 will underpin the sustainable development of Ireland’s farming and food sector by supporting viable farm incomes and enhancing competitiveness, by strengthening the socio-economic fabric of rural areas, and by contributing to the achievement of environmental and climate objectives at national and EU levels.
Plans must be aimed at supporting the economic, environmental and social sustainability of rural areas, and there is a particularly strong emphasis on the achievement of a higher level of climate and environment ambition through a new “Green Architecture” that will operate across both pillars. Ireland proposes to put the CSP at the core of the transition of the agricultural sector to a sustainable food system.
The new CAP Strategic Plan is structured around the achievement of three general objectives, as set out in EU legislation, namely:
- to foster a smart, competitive, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring long term food security.
- to support and strengthen environmental protection, including biodiversity, and climate action, and to contribute to achieving the environmental- and climate-related objectives of the Union, including its commitments under the Paris Agreement;
- to strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas.
Due to Ireland’s temperate climate and exceptional ability to grow grass at relatively low cost, there is a higher reliance on livestock farming. The dairy and beef production in Ireland is already considered to be a carbon efficient food production system.
The proposed new National Agri-Environment Scheme, Eco-Scheme, Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme, and Organic Farming Scheme will directly assist in meeting the targets outlined for a climate-neutral food system by 2050, by reducing biogenic methane levels, reducing ammonia emission levels, reducing nutrient losses to water, prioritising biodiversity on farmed area and increasing the area of agricultural land farmed organically.
Ireland’s agri-food system has a global reputation for quality and safety, primarily based on a sustainable grazed grass approach. Global demand for high quality food is increasing in line with increases in global population, urbanization and affluence, and the Irish agri-food sector is well placed to play a role in meeting this demand.
Agriculture must do its share of the climate ask and absolute emissions from the sector must fall over the years ahead. However, this does not mean that Ireland needs to change from our role as a producer and exporter of safe, high quality and sustainably produced food.
I recently launched the Food Vision 2030 strategy, which sets out a pathway to Ireland becoming a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade and this will be the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector.
By adopting an integrated food systems approach, Ireland will become a global leader of innovation for sustainable food and agriculture systems, producing safe, nutritious, and high-value food while protecting and enhancing our natural resources and contributing to vibrant rural and coastal communities within the national economy.
With a focus on the marketplace together with a continuing reduction in the carbon-footprint of our produce, I am very confident that we will continue the transition to become even more sustainable, with benefits for water, air quality, biodiversity, our farmers and our consumers.
