More change on the way

With an election in the not-too-distant future, public representatives from across the political spectrum expressed their commitment to supporting farmers in their endeavours. It is difficult to know how achievable, realistic, or sincere some of these supportive promises are, as we enter a new era of land use and food production. 

We tend to live in a bubble, where we regard farming as central to the thought processes of everyone in society, including politicians. Nothing could be further from the truth. Health, housing, and improving income prospects all take precedence in the public’s mind. Food is plentiful, high quality and, relative to total household expenditure, affordable. Demanding preferential treatment based solely on the economic necessity of maintaining or improving farm incomes will only carry us so far. Arguing that regulation and environmental protection are costly and, ultimately, to the benefit of the wider society does resonate with the wider public but translating that public acceptance into active support of increased financial supports is a delicate balance. The opposition to water charges showed that many people want a clean, plentiful water supply, but they do not want to make a targeted payment for it. 

Prioritising private or public expenditure, and the share of that apportioned to the farming community, is a European as well as an Irish challenge. Europe’s resources will be stretched in the coming years as changing priorities demand a financial refocus. On the horizon, we are glimpsing the outline of a roadmap for European agriculture. The recently published strategy document, A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe, contains 14 main recommendations. They are necessarily broad stroke in their approach. The final report of the Strategic Dialogue grouping, which compiled this future view of European agriculture in its broadest definition, summarises its proposals as providing ‘an orientation for action to create socially responsible, economically profitable, and environmentally sustainable agri-food systems’. Who could argue against such noble pursuits? Aside from continuing to protect EU food security, European agriculture will be required to assist in mitigating climate change, restoring degraded environmental and biodiversity systems, as well as improving its competitiveness and efficiency. The most practical proposal in the report is that a well-endowed funding mechanism, separate from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), will be required to achieve the changes needed to transform European agriculture from a food-production-focused industry, to one that can deliver multi-faceted solutions to local and global challenges. How achievable that financial proposition is, remains to be seen. EU Member States must also address expensive defence, energy and competitiveness challenges, which may take precedence over global climate and environmental demands. The main recommendations are, presumably, listed in order of priority and the proposal to strengthen farmers’ position in the food value chain is deservedly in first place. Preparing a CAP that is fit for purpose, is another high priority action as identified in the Strategic Dialogue report. The CAP has changed continuously over the decades, with the share of its largesse continuing to reduce for Irish farmers. Further change is now guaranteed. If, or when, Ukraine achieves EU membership, its huge, fertile land base will inevitably erode the competitiveness of existing EU farms and place enormous pressures on CAP funding, even before an alternative funding system for non-food production priorities is considered. Irish farmers must look with considerable trepidation to more change in the years ahead.