A “radical rethink” of Europe’s Farm to Fork Strategy is needed under the next European Commission, according to the director of Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), Conor Mulvihill.
The dairy industry contributed €17.6 billion to the Irish economy in 2022, however, due to what he said is “incoherent policy” from Europe, the “success story” of Irish dairy fell by 4.1% in 2023.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers fell by 4.1%, or 365.5 million, last year when compared to 2022.
While Mulvihill believes there are elements of the Farm to Fork Strategy which are “very good”, he told a meeting in the European Parliament that “we’re crashing an industry off the wall”.
“We feel like we’re on the train track with this train with no driver coming towards us in terms of farm to fork,” he said at an event which discussed the progress of the EU strategy.
Farm to Fork Strategy
The strategy aims to reduce the use of pesticides and antimicrobials, reduce excess fertilisation, increase organic farming, improve animal welfare, and reverse biodiversity loss.
Representing the Irish agri-food industry at the event, Mulvihill said there needs to be a fair and phased implementation of policy, working with farmers instead of “imposing” it on them.
Commenting on the progress of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, which is part of the Green Deal and is now in its fifth year, he said that farmers and the industry are up for the “challenge”.
However, he believes there needs to be a “proper risk assessment and analysis” of policy undertaken by the European Commission and “clear integration” of scientific developments.
Mulvihill also stressed the need for a higher budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and said that the cut in Ireland’s nitrates derogation is a “case study of how not to do policy”.
EU agri-food industry
The event was organised by the policy institute Competere, specialised in public policies on sustainability, together with Italian European People’s Party MEP, Salvatore De Meo.
Five years after the launch of the Green Deal, its ambitions have “often proven to be inconsistent and supported by an ideological approach”, Competere president, Pietro Paganini said.
“We have seen a marginalisation of agriculture and of the food industry on the European political agenda, despite their crucial role in food security, innovation and socio-economic development.
“Environmental policies have often penalised the sector, ignoring the need for a balanced approach that takes into account the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability,” he said.
The EU agri-food industry asks for a “concrete commitment” from the future European Parliament and the commission which, according to Competere, comprises the following points:
- Recognise the priority of the agricultural and food sector on the European political agenda;
- Develop policies that promote the well-being of European citizens and support resilient global supply chains;
- Guarantee a balanced food policy that takes into account health, the environment and the economy;
- Stimulate innovation and investments in the agri-food sector;
- Replace subsidies with active investment policies to revitalise rural areas and improve access to credit;
- Promote the European agri-food sector internationally through product protection strategies and commercial partnerships;
- Engage in consumer food education to promote balanced diets and support local products.
MEP De Meo emphasised that those who make the laws “must finally understand that sustainability has three faces, not only environmental, but also economic and social”.