Contact: Mr Bob Allen
This submission comes from Kilkilleen Organics and is also on behalf of Growing Awareness, a Skibbereen based food and farming group.
It occurs to me that Ireland could supply the ever growing organic market in Europe and further. For ten years, Ministers of State have buried their heads in the sand to sustainable systems in Irish agriculture in favour of agri-business with all its profiteering, bribery and corruption that we have all witnessed.
Non-"chemically-forced" food is not only better for the consumer both from a health and value point of view but it is sustainable on a small and a large scale. This enables the very popular Irish small farm community to survive. This will be unpopular with big business. Small farms can survive by providing our own fuel, shelter and food and thus are immune, to some degree, to corporate decisions. Politicians are gone - they have no power - as their decision making is controlled by big business and the world banks.
You would be unpopular for a day if you chose to follow the clean food/clean environment sector, but you would go down in history as people with vision.
In a hundred years, the valuable contribution to cutting unemployment and re-balancing our trade deficit will be recognised and applauded. Ireland is classically ripe for development as a clean food country, yet we would rather make a fast buck today and hang tomorrow - the ultimate in short termism! Soon we will run out of tomorrows and also of options. It is too late to rescue our fishing industry, but you might just be in time to rescue our infrastructure and our green agriculture.
Britain, this week, has a weekly turnover of ST£5 million in the
organic sector alone. 75% (three quarters) of this is imported - £3.75
million per week. This could be grown in Ireland to a very large extent.
We have the family farm base.
We have the climate for most fruit
and vegetables commonly consumed.
We have a clean image.
We can
build on what we have and create what we lack - full employment and a
better balance of trade.
To extend into clean environment and sustainable energy production would give us a base that the rest of the world would envy. All it takes is courage to go with it, and to reject the multi-national way. Even the financiers are recommending selling off interests in companies like Monsanto.
Times are changing - are you a real committee or just another talking shop hoping to line your own nests? Face the challenge - 99% of the population will support you and thank you.
LET'S GO ORGANIC.