Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
735. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s working understanding of the definition of a family farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52745/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccording to the latest Census of Agriculture carried out by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in 2020, over 96% of the 135,037 farm holdings in Ireland are operated as “family farms”. CSO define family farms as "farms which are operated as family-based enterprises".
With just under 4% of the total, CSO define "Commercial Farms" as " farms registered as companies which paid all their workers as employees (including management) or farms connected with institutions (e.g. schools, colleges, religious communities, prisons etc.)". It is likely that a number of the commercial farms, while registered as companies, may still operate as family farms.
Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the sustainable development of the agri-food strategy, is clear that the family farm model is key to social sustainability.
