Contact :Dr. Matthew A Parkes

With respect to the development of Irish agriculture over the next decade I wish to make the following simple points:

• Organic agriculture must be promoted as the only sustainable and sensible option.
• Animal welfare must be given a much higher priority - with complete phasing out of battery chicken/egg production, intensive pig units, and other intensive cruel systems. * REPS scheme should be expanded and promoted to encourage more natural farming, healthier farmer lifestyles and a better environment.
• Ban on growth hormone treated meat from the USA must be maintained.
• Penalties for farmers and drug companies/agents pushing illegal compounds must be increased, along with testing to encourage consumer confidence in agriculture.
• CAP reforms must be made to encourage sustainable farming practices that relate to health, animal welfare and environment, not subsidy driven trends of farm activity.
• Sheep subsidies must be repealed to reduce overgrazing in upland areas.
• Social infrastructure of rural communities must be protected to encourage more small farms and reduce the population imbalance and the growth of enormous agri-businesses. * Ireland could and should be largely self sufficient in vegetables; measures must be taken to encourage this sector (organic of course).
• Genetically modified foods should be banned NOW, and labelling of all imported stuffs containing them be compulsory, with no 2% fudge.

Pro consumer measures must be taken in economic policies at national level to protect the consumer against the developing concentration of power over what we eat in a very few large companies or corporations, and supermarket chains.

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