Small farms in Ireland are in a steady decline and have been for several decades now.
In fact farming is now referred to as an “industry”…a most illuminating use of language!
The pressure on small farmers to produce more and more, (mostly meat), is driving many off the land, as they find it difficult to compete with the bigger landowners and thus meat growers!
The countryside is fast losing vital habitat, as hedgerows are pulled out, trees felled and field size increased.
There is a government initiative behind this, of course…”Food Harvest 2020!”
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is Simon Coveney TD.
Minister Coveney held a meeting on the 17th of April.
Invitations were issued to key stakeholders, including farm organisations, beef processors and relevant state agencies to a round table discussion on the future development of the Beef Sector, as it is referred to!
Participants at this meeting were invited to discuss the government initiative, Food Harvest 2020.
This scheme was introduced by the Irish government to increase production of beef! (Ironic naming it “Food Harvest 2020!)
Now, read this statement from the Minister of Agriculture…using language of industry, markets and sport!
Commenting today on the initiative, Minister Coveney said
“By some measures the beef sector is Ireland’s biggest indigenous industry, involving more than 100,000 farm families, and 8,000 jobs in processing, sales and marketing, with exports valued of more than €2 billion in 2013. Food Harvest 2020 set an initial target of a 20% increase in the value of output for the beef sector. The target for beef exports has already been exceeded.
The time is now right to sit down with key stakeholders in the sector, to consider the strategic approach needed to support its development, using the best available market intelligence, and the newest technology and research to improve performance at all levels of the supply chain. The beef sector makes a vital contribution to Irish agri food and to employment and the economy generally. I am convinced that with the right strategic approach and positive collaboration from all of the players, the beef sector in Ireland has a bright future.”
(https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2014/april/title,74954,en.html)
All the while, loss of habitat is causing devastation!
Friends of the Earth, (FOE), have called on the Government to do a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of Food Harvest 2020.
Other groups raising concerns with Food Harvest 2020 include:
The Irish Climate Justice Group
The Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership.
Friends of the Irish Environment and Allies
The European Commission has announced it is launching an investigation of whether proper procedures were followed.
Each and every photograph I post here on this website is taken at Bealtaine Cottage.
These three acres of abundance exist because I took the cattle off the land.
I would like to invite Minister Simon Coveney to Bealtaine Cottage to see what happens to land when it is allowed and nurtured to re-generate!
We need, as a nation, to cherish our land and protect it for future generations.
We need to produce more Organic Food for our people rather than importing it…that means fruit and vegetables and grains!
Oh, by the way Minister…you may call it Food Harvest 2020, but, I and many like me, do not eat beef…not much food there then!
My friend is a harbour master and some years ago the Minister for Fisheries came to visit. After being shown around and given a trip out on the sea in a fishing boat, joked he had never been on a boat before and had no idea or clue whatsoever about anything to do with the sea. That sums up the way government operates regardless of which party is in. Ministers are given portfolios that they have no life experience of at all. I wrote to Minister Coveney last summer to tell him that Bhutan had become the first organic country, banning all pesticides and fertilisers and building up healthy eco systems (as you have). i asked why Ireland, as a small island nation could not do the same. Guess what? No reply! WE just have to keep doing what we are doing – as Rumi said, “Yesterday I was clever, I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, I am changing myself.” Love and blessings. xxx
An excellent and do-able philosophy…I agree with Rumi! the best change is from the ground up…that is lasting change!
Blessings XXX
Fight the good fight, sister, will all of your might. If sanity does not prevail, it won’t be our fault!
Agree Simon Coveney is a total Gombeen as is Enda Kenny, that is what you expect from people who follow a neo-liberal ideology but won’t admit it. Fine Gael are the party of the big beef farmers and always have been, they have consistently sold out the urban working class Irish and the landless rural dwellers. The only way to deal with them isn’t to try and change them as that is a waste of time but to get them out of Government before they do any more damage. Labour have proved themselves to be no better, Pat Rabbitte would have covered Ireland in Wind farms if the English Tories hadn’t pulled the plug on his pet big idea.
Agree entirely, D B. But our two Tweedle parties like to think they offer a choice – and many people (the majority!) foolishly go along with that. Sadly, I can see FF coming back soon.
Even on the doorstep, when candidates come seeking votes, it’s impossible to engage them in debate. Why? Because it’s futile. It’s pointless. Imagine winning a Fine Gaeler over to the sensible side, when they support the likes of what is written above. Mind you, they probably think the same about the likes of us, which is why our views are never taken into account.
You will not change Coveney, Colette, no matter what paradise you present to him. Shall I tell you what really makes me feel nauseous about his words? This idea of ‘processing’. These are sentient, living, vibrant, loving beings he’s ‘processing’ in his ‘sector’. The language of the CIA infects us all and it should be resisted. Tell it like it is – slavery, exploitation and murder.
Regards
(and keep up the superb blog)
David
Your last paragraph encapsulates for me all that terrifies…that human beings can be without compassion…my journey with the Great Mother has led me away from any idea of killing or eating flesh. It is a journey, not a dogma and it is the journey we should embrace. I am not critical of meat-eaters as many friends and family remain at that point in their own journeys.
Blessings my friend XXX
The language is deliberate, as you’re fully aware of. Imagine going into Trashco and saying, “Do you have a nice lean piece of a cow’s front leg? Oh, and some of its intestines for the dog, please.”
Seriously, I agree about the journey. I am on it; we went totally organic in 1986, vegetarian in 1992, vegan in 2005. Things take time, don’t they? Rather than evangelise, which we know doesn’t work, I often just say, ‘veganism works for me’ and leave it at that but meat-eaters who try our food are impressed: one can only hope they eventually travel the same road as us.
Regards
David
Colette
Further musings.
Free with all this ‘food’ comes a pair of green-tinted glasses.
Anyone who consumes non-organic Irish meat and dairy here or abroad is consuming GMOs. No-one I know is aware of this but for instance look at the back of every bag that comes from Red Mills and it’s there in black-and-white.
I can find no reference to GMOs on their website – well, surprise, surprise!!
Regards
David
Sorry, can’t stop thinking…
Another thought occurs to me…the IFA is likely to be behind a lot of 2020 project: they seem to hold tremendous power both over so-called ‘farmers’ as well as the government.
If you do know any farmers, ask if they support the 2020 policy – if they’ve ever heard of it – and also if they belong to the IFA (a body which supports the use of GMOs, btw).
Oh yes, Arrabawn (owners of the mis-named Greenvale) also sell GMO feed and, strangely enough, have forgotten to mention this on their website. Tut tut.
I’ll shut up now.
Regards
David
A good point…I have mentioned this somewhere on the website blogs and regularly on Twitter and FB!
Blessings XXX
Good post as always. We have our own set of problems here with “Big Ag” (agriculture). There is a ad running for a tractor company that extolls an example of a “farmer” whose great grandfather had 160 acres, is now cultivating 20,000 acres. The dark side of this is that this type of food production is completely dependant on massive inputs of petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides. The further problems of dependence on huge fuel hungry machinery and the dramatic depletion of soil quality, means that this model is unsustainable. A point rarely made about this type of “success” story is that the 20,000 acre farm required that 124 small sustainable farmers had to be displaced.
You have succinctly addressed the main problem…thank you Mark, well put!
I think the word is getting out here in Western Massachusetts. Our local food co-op offers free permaculture classes which are full every time. Here in the states agriculture ministers are usually associated with huge Agri businesses and have no idea about small farmers . Their interest is gobbling up small farmers. I hope the minister will come and see just what you have done. Love the pictures give Sammy Bear a hug for me.
Small farmers and smallholdings are the future as they produce more diverse food and much more per acres!
Blessings X Carole X
Beautiful pictures and, unfortunately, such true commentary. It is the world we live in, one of profit over people and nature. Both here on the planet and at higher level, transition and change are occurring rapidly. I always need to remember, and honor, that. Here in Maine spring is trying (very hard) to arrive. The mountains of snow have melted, leaving the life it protected all winter bursting through the earth.
I would love to visit Bealtaine, in the meantime, your pictures are marvelous!
So true!
Maine sounds wonderful in the early Spring and you will be welcome to visit Bealtaine XXX
Blessings
Agree totally with what you’re sayin but am gobsmacked at the difference in the growth between the west of Ireland and the east of Scotland. I’m at 1000ft which doesn’t help, but here nothing is ore than 3″ out of the ground yet, my mint is just poking it’s wee nose out this week and my apple trees are bare twigs with tiny buds on. I WANT SPRING lol
Sending it with love XXX