IFA president Tim Cullinan said the European Commission cannot continue to ignore the mounting evidence of Brazil’s degradation of the environment for beef exports.

“The Commission was explicit that Mercosur could not go ahead if Brazil failed to meet environmental standards. A new report from University of Oxford and the Nature Conservancy says the deal fails the sustainability test and should be abandoned,” he said.

The report states “the proposed EU-Mercosur agreement puts the EU’s own social and environmental sustainability goals at risk. For example, the proposed EU-Mercosur agreement as it currently stands is in direct contradiction to the European Green Deal”.

At the recent informal EU Farm Council meeting, the German Agriculture Minister Julia Klockner, who chairs the Farm Council, said she was sceptical if the Mercosur agreement could be ratified in its current format.

The IFA president said it would be deeply hypocritical of the European Commission to pursue a trade deal that so clearly conflicts with its own policy.

“Commission president Ursula von der Leyen cannot stand over this deal and should send a clear signal that the EU will not do business with Brazil when it continues to flout the law,” he said.

Tadhg Buckley joins the IFA

Tadhg Buckley, head of agriculture with AIB Bank. \ Donal O'Leary

Tadhg Buckley has been appointed the new director of policy/chief economist of the IFA.

From a farming background, he is currently head of agriculture with AIB and has a strong knowledge of Irish farming and its policy environment at national and EU level.

Buckley holds a degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin as well as a master’s of business administration (MBA) from University of Limerick.

He is also a Nuffield scholar, a member of the Agricultural Science Association and a qualified financial adviser.

Prior to assuming the role as head of agriculture, Tadhg was team leader of AIB’s agri advisory team in the south of Ireland.

He is also actively involved in dairy farming on his home farm in north Cork. He will take up his role on 14 December following a notice period with AIB.