‘Sure this Mercosur thing won’t make a difference to me and what I’m eating,” exclaimed my slightly-posh, very-urban friend over the weekend. Said friend doesn’t own wellies and would usually be discussing the Metrolink rather than Mercosur. But for this brunch, it seemed, she was an authority on all things farming.

Saying that, she is a stalwart supporter of Irish food and good ingredients. “I’ll still be going to my butcher for Irish beef and checking for the Bord Bia mark on my burgers, nothing is going to change there, and don’t all the good restaurants sing and dance about the fact they support Irish. Not an ounce of Brazilian beef shall touch these lips,” she proudly declared.

It’s estimated that up to 20,000 farmers and rural supporters attended the anti-Mercosur protest in Athlone last Saturday but this is a news story that has reverberated well beyond the farming community. My pal isn’t alone in her opinions – many consumers are concerned about the origin of their food, and will proudly support Irish.

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And as the situation develops and if MEPs in Europe ratify the EU-Mercosur trade deal, those sourcing Irish beef will be shouting about it even louder.

Within hours of the trade deal being passed in the European Parliament last Friday, Supermacs stated on its social media account: “we will only ever use Irish beef. Not because it’s convenient, but because it’s the best”. A clever marketing move and the business may have been one of the first out of the traps, but we don’t expect them to be the last.

No doubt many Irish consumers will support Irish businesses supporting Irish farmers – it’s easy to do so when the information is clearly in front of you. But what about when the information isn’t as transparent? That’s when you start to wonder: are consumers going to put in the effort?

In light of the fact that in September Brazilian beef treated with the banned carcinogenic hormone Oestradiol 17ß entered the Irish food chain, are we at the start of a very slippery slope?

On a Saturday night, when my aforementioned friend rings up the local Chinese ordering her usual beef in black sauce with fried rice, is she going to ask where they are sourcing their beef from?

And if the answer is vague or not to her liking, will she hang up and make it herself? And what about the lad that’s been out on the town after a few pints? Is he going to ask the chipper if the beef in his burger took a long flight from Brazil, when he himself is three sheets to the wind?

In light of the fact that in September Brazilian beef treated with the banned carcinogenic hormone Oestradiol 17ß entered the Irish food chain, are we at the start of a very slippery slope?

Let’s look at the supermarkets. If a packaging label clearly states that beef is sourced from Brazil, then the onus is on the consumer to make an informed decision. However, price is also one of the most prominent factors in a food purchase. Last year, food prices saw hikes of 4.2% over 12 months, one of the steepest increases in a decade.

People can say that they’ll support Irish – and they may be aware of the very real concerns about Brazil’s ability to meet European standards of production – but unlike my financially comfortable pal, when a family’s budget has no wiggle room, will the cheaper option be too attractive to pass up?

These decisions aren’t just made here on Irish soil. Support for Irish, and European products, is needed from the French chef, the Italian housewife, and the German family. Farmers can march but we need consumers to support.