Out of the total EU beef importation allowances from Mercosur countries, it is a relatively small amount of beef, even for a country that exports up to 90 per cent of its own beef production. While calls for a register of EU companies that buy beef from countries outside of the European Union (EU) may be legitimate, it mightn’t be the wisest move, given our compromised attitude, generally, in terms of ignoring certain imports while heavily criticising and scrutinising others. According to the Irish Grain Growers Group, we import up to 750,000 tonnes of grains and feedstuffs from Mercosur countries, annually. Much of it is used in animal feeds to support milk, beef, pork, lamb and poultry production. At least some of the imported grains, we can assume, are produced using husbandry practices that would not meet EU standards. Maybe all the imported grain products are from non-GMO crops. Maybe all the imports are from crops that only use EU-sanctioned protectants including fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides. Or maybe not. Are our food products ‘tainted’ because their production is supported by these supposedly non-conforming imports. I don’t believe so, but it’s not an argument I would want to get into. While we are on the subject, generally, perhaps greater scrutiny of the myriads of snacks and breakfast cereals we consume every day would be appropriate, given the likelihood that at least some of them are likely to have been manufactured using ingredients that do not conform to EU regulations and standards. Where do we start and where would the witch-hunt finish? Go see Arthur Millar’s ‘The Crucible’ at the Gaiety this month if you want to know the likely endgame.
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