TALAMH BEO is a member led organisation - we are farmers, growers and land-based workers who are organising for change in our food and agriculture systems.
OUR SEVEN POINTS
Talamh Beo would like to propose seven points for policy makers and politicians to consider to meet the challenges of biodiversity loss, falling farm incomes, rural decline and climate change.
1. FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: Talamh Beo endorse and support the Irish Food Sovereignty Proclamation available at www.foodsovereigntryireland.org. We see Food Sovereignty as being the framework and foundation for building a new food and agricultural policy in Ireland. Food Sovereignty can ensure farmers engage in agriculture instead of agribusiness, and prioritise community over commodities. We aim to work for Food Sovereignty both here in Ireland and with our farming friends and allies overseas. Talamh Beo also recognise and support the positive solutions proposed by Regenerative Farming Ireland in their report Farm 2 Fork 2030.
2. STIMULATE AND SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCTION: Talamh Beo proposes the introduction of a new direct payment for local producers. There is significant room for import substitution and the redevelopment of local food networks in Ireland. We believe a specific fixed rate payment to full time farmers exclusively supplying local and regional markets would provide a stimulus to local food systems and allow farmers to provide an abundance of fresh and nutritious food into the Irish market. It would also allow for farm diversification. Zero percent long-term finance should also be provided to new entrants aiming to supply local markets to aid with establishment costs.
3. AN AGROCHEMICAL FREE ISLAND: In the current agricultural system the burden of proof rests on Organic producers to prove they are not applying agrochemical inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics etc) that have negative environmental and health impacts. Ireland should make a revolutionary shift towards an agriculture system where such products are controlled substances, significantly reducing the paperwork involved in organic production and thus making it more attractive to conventional farmers. Ireland should also apply full transparency in labelling (list agrichemicals used in production) to “conventionally” produced goods for consumers. Ireland could become a world leader in agro-chemical free food production, and in the production of inputs for organic and agrochemical free agriculture.
4. BASIC INCOME FOR FULL TIME FARMERS: Talamh Beo proposes a Basic Income payment to full time farmers engaged in agroecological or high nature value farming. Such farmers provide a multitude of benefits to all citizens in terms of environmental management as well as producing high quality food - they must be allowed the time and capacity to make the right decisions and manage their farms in a holistic way. Low incomes often force farmers to push the land harder, with resulting negative environmental and social impacts. Farmers who are putting ecological considerations first should be rewarded with a public dividend in the form of a basic income payment to ensure they can continue their valuable work in dignity.
5. ACCESS TO LAND FOR NEW FARMERS: We need to start talking about access to land in Ireland. Many young people interested in becoming farmers and food producers are facing difficulty in accessing land. The state needs to ensure that these people have pathways to access land so they can develop innovative, diversified food and farming enterprises that can bring new life to rural areas. Local authorities in urban areas in particular need to make land available for local food production through land banks and long lease options on public land. New urban and rural development plans should include analysis of hinterland areas and their capacity to feed the local population. We need to link younger farmers who have agroecological land use projects with older farmers who are interested in seeing their land transition to a new farmer rather than disappear into land speculation and agroindustrial land concentration.
6. A NEW FORESTRY POLICY FOR BIODIVERSITY NOT PROFIT: Trees are part of our landscape and a vital part of our farms. Woodland, forestry and food production can all be integrated, with positive effects on all production systems. Monoculture forestry should be discontinued, with continuous cover native woodland, coppice silviculture and agroforestry becoming the norm. Ireland needs a new forestry act to reflect the urgency of climate change, removing the commercial objectives of Coillte to replace them with biodiversity enhancement, long term mature native woodland development on all sites and the gradual complete removal of spruce monocultures and their replacement with biodiversity rich sites.
7. FARM DIVERSIFICATION AND A MOVE AWAY FROM INTENSIFICATION: Ireland’s landscape has become a monoculture of grass, with a focus on intensification of beef and particularly dairy production to the exclusion of all else. This system is focused on producing bulk commodities for export markets rather than the growing market for high quality, high welfare grass fed organic beef and dairy. Farms need to reverse the trend of specialisation and embrace diversified farm economies with integrated production systems which compliment each other (animals, vegetables, fruit, fibre etc) and have positive impacts on biodiversity and the environment. Diversification also means more resilient farm economies - and a better quality of life with more diverse, rewarding work on farms. Talamh Beo supports the removal of the Nitrogen derogation.
Talamh Beo would like to propose seven points for policy makers and politicians to consider to meet the challenges of biodiversity loss, falling farm incomes, rural decline and climate change.
1. FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: Talamh Beo endorse and support the Irish Food Sovereignty Proclamation available at www.foodsovereigntryireland.org. We see Food Sovereignty as being the framework and foundation for building a new food and agricultural policy in Ireland. Food Sovereignty can ensure farmers engage in agriculture instead of agribusiness, and prioritise community over commodities. We aim to work for Food Sovereignty both here in Ireland and with our farming friends and allies overseas. Talamh Beo also recognise and support the positive solutions proposed by Regenerative Farming Ireland in their report Farm 2 Fork 2030.
2. STIMULATE AND SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCTION: Talamh Beo proposes the introduction of a new direct payment for local producers. There is significant room for import substitution and the redevelopment of local food networks in Ireland. We believe a specific fixed rate payment to full time farmers exclusively supplying local and regional markets would provide a stimulus to local food systems and allow farmers to provide an abundance of fresh and nutritious food into the Irish market. It would also allow for farm diversification. Zero percent long-term finance should also be provided to new entrants aiming to supply local markets to aid with establishment costs.
3. AN AGROCHEMICAL FREE ISLAND: In the current agricultural system the burden of proof rests on Organic producers to prove they are not applying agrochemical inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics etc) that have negative environmental and health impacts. Ireland should make a revolutionary shift towards an agriculture system where such products are controlled substances, significantly reducing the paperwork involved in organic production and thus making it more attractive to conventional farmers. Ireland should also apply full transparency in labelling (list agrichemicals used in production) to “conventionally” produced goods for consumers. Ireland could become a world leader in agro-chemical free food production, and in the production of inputs for organic and agrochemical free agriculture.
4. BASIC INCOME FOR FULL TIME FARMERS: Talamh Beo proposes a Basic Income payment to full time farmers engaged in agroecological or high nature value farming. Such farmers provide a multitude of benefits to all citizens in terms of environmental management as well as producing high quality food - they must be allowed the time and capacity to make the right decisions and manage their farms in a holistic way. Low incomes often force farmers to push the land harder, with resulting negative environmental and social impacts. Farmers who are putting ecological considerations first should be rewarded with a public dividend in the form of a basic income payment to ensure they can continue their valuable work in dignity.
5. ACCESS TO LAND FOR NEW FARMERS: We need to start talking about access to land in Ireland. Many young people interested in becoming farmers and food producers are facing difficulty in accessing land. The state needs to ensure that these people have pathways to access land so they can develop innovative, diversified food and farming enterprises that can bring new life to rural areas. Local authorities in urban areas in particular need to make land available for local food production through land banks and long lease options on public land. New urban and rural development plans should include analysis of hinterland areas and their capacity to feed the local population. We need to link younger farmers who have agroecological land use projects with older farmers who are interested in seeing their land transition to a new farmer rather than disappear into land speculation and agroindustrial land concentration.
6. A NEW FORESTRY POLICY FOR BIODIVERSITY NOT PROFIT: Trees are part of our landscape and a vital part of our farms. Woodland, forestry and food production can all be integrated, with positive effects on all production systems. Monoculture forestry should be discontinued, with continuous cover native woodland, coppice silviculture and agroforestry becoming the norm. Ireland needs a new forestry act to reflect the urgency of climate change, removing the commercial objectives of Coillte to replace them with biodiversity enhancement, long term mature native woodland development on all sites and the gradual complete removal of spruce monocultures and their replacement with biodiversity rich sites.
7. FARM DIVERSIFICATION AND A MOVE AWAY FROM INTENSIFICATION: Ireland’s landscape has become a monoculture of grass, with a focus on intensification of beef and particularly dairy production to the exclusion of all else. This system is focused on producing bulk commodities for export markets rather than the growing market for high quality, high welfare grass fed organic beef and dairy. Farms need to reverse the trend of specialisation and embrace diversified farm economies with integrated production systems which compliment each other (animals, vegetables, fruit, fibre etc) and have positive impacts on biodiversity and the environment. Diversification also means more resilient farm economies - and a better quality of life with more diverse, rewarding work on farms. Talamh Beo supports the removal of the Nitrogen derogation.