A second high-level implementation committee meeting for the Food Vision 2030 strategy was chaired by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on Thursday.

Speaking after the event, Minister McConalogue said the group discussed progress on implementing the key priorities of Food Vision 2030 and the roles of the new Food Vision environmental group and the Food Vision dairy group.

He said: “Today we also discussed stepping up our ambitions for organic farming and for forestry, which my colleague Minister of State Pippa Hackett is leading on.

Sustainability

"Both forestry and organic farming are important environmentally, but, importantly, they also provide diversification opportunities for farmers and have the potential to contribute to their economic sustainability.”

The Minister described the strategy as a “landmark for the Irish agri-food sector, with the potential to transform our agriculture, food, forestry and marine sectors in the period to 2030”.

He highlighted that the document has “sustainability at its core”.

“This strategy is honest and upfront about the challenges ahead. But, crucially, it proposes solutions and charts a pathway to sustainability in all its dimensions, environmental, economic and social.”

Dairy

According to a statement from Minister McConalogue, the meeting also noted the work of the Food Vision dairy group towards producing a detailed plan to manage the sustainable environmental footprint of the dairy sector, with an interim report due by the end of March.

He said the meeting also heard that a similar group for beef and sheepmeat will be established in April.

Minister McConalogue said: “Market access and market development are a key part of the Food Vision strategy for post-Brexit diversification. I am working constructively with Minister of State Martin Heydon who has responsibility in this area.”

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