The hypocrisy of the Government and politicians dealing with climate change needs to be challenged on Mercosur, the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has said.
Mercosur grain imports must be resisted, the farm organisation urged.
“What about the imports of grains, much of it glyphosate-ready genetically modified (GM), grain from these countries that we feed our Irish livestock and to our citizens,” a statement from IGGG reads.
Standards
“What about the traceability standards, the husbandry standards, including the pesticides used on these crops that may possibly have been banned up to 30 years ago in the EU?
"What about the fact that rainforests are cut down to export grains like palm and soya to countries like ours?
"There is no point highlighting the environmental impact of this Mercosur deal if you turn a blind eye to the increasing volume of grains arriving into this country.”
Farmers holding up wellies that "will no longer be needed" at the Beef Plan Protest outside the Dáil on Wednesday this week. \ Phill Doyle
The IGGG also pointed out that farm bodies are highlighting that livestock production methods in the Mercosur region would be illegal in Europe, but that farm bodies are not speaking out about the use of grain from Mercosur countries in feedstuffs.
“We tillage farmers have been competing with Mercosur countries on world grain markets for many a year now and it is often thrown in our face the price of GM maize, soya and palm when we go to trade our grain,” it said.
“We are opposed to the Mercosur deal, but our politicians, our farm lobby groups, our meat industry, our dairy industry, our co-ops, our retailers, our citizens, they must oppose the Mercosur grain too or we are just being hypocritical.”
Read more
‘Opposition to Mercosur deal growing across Europe’ - IFA
Government loses vote on Mercosur deal
The hypocrisy of the Government and politicians dealing with climate change needs to be challenged on Mercosur, the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has said.
Mercosur grain imports must be resisted, the farm organisation urged.
“What about the imports of grains, much of it glyphosate-ready genetically modified (GM), grain from these countries that we feed our Irish livestock and to our citizens,” a statement from IGGG reads.
Standards
“What about the traceability standards, the husbandry standards, including the pesticides used on these crops that may possibly have been banned up to 30 years ago in the EU?
"What about the fact that rainforests are cut down to export grains like palm and soya to countries like ours?
"There is no point highlighting the environmental impact of this Mercosur deal if you turn a blind eye to the increasing volume of grains arriving into this country.”
Farmers holding up wellies that "will no longer be needed" at the Beef Plan Protest outside the Dáil on Wednesday this week. \ Phill Doyle
The IGGG also pointed out that farm bodies are highlighting that livestock production methods in the Mercosur region would be illegal in Europe, but that farm bodies are not speaking out about the use of grain from Mercosur countries in feedstuffs.
“We tillage farmers have been competing with Mercosur countries on world grain markets for many a year now and it is often thrown in our face the price of GM maize, soya and palm when we go to trade our grain,” it said.
“We are opposed to the Mercosur deal, but our politicians, our farm lobby groups, our meat industry, our dairy industry, our co-ops, our retailers, our citizens, they must oppose the Mercosur grain too or we are just being hypocritical.”
Read more
‘Opposition to Mercosur deal growing across Europe’ - IFA
Government loses vote on Mercosur deal
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: