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Friends of the Earth urges farm minister Bríd: bin the blueprint

Friends of the Earth today urged Agriculture Minister Bríd Rodgers to bin her 'farming blueprint' [1] and initiate a comprehensive and inclusive debate on the future of food production. The call comes on the day Mrs. Rodgers is due to be presented with the findings of her Vision Group [2]. But Lisa Fagan of Friends of the Earth questioned the exercise, insisting it was unlikely to map out a sustainable way forward for Northern Ireland's beleaguered farmers:

"Mrs. Rodgers' Vision Group was established before the Foot and Mouth crisis and is dominated by agri-business interests and civil servants. It includes only one person from a voluntary sector background and no-one to represent consumer interests. Early indications are that the Vision Group will recommend that Northern Ireland's diverse family farm structure be sacrificed on the altar of the global marketplace."

She went on:

"Farming is both in crisis and at a crossroads. The industry has been devastated by BSE, Foot and Mouth and a system of subsidies which favours the most intensive producers. Now is the time to involve farmers, consumers and everyone in-between in a fundamental re-think of how we produce our food. Let's open up the debate to include: public health and food poverty; genetic modification; the supermarket 'armlock';the potential to produce food for local consumption; the effect of world trade rules and CAP reform; the scope for organic production and low input farming; and the future of rural communities and the rural way of life."

Friends of the Earth published its forecast of the Vision Group's key recommendations, and Friends of the Earth's campaign demands:

Demand
That the Vision Group's work be quietly dropped on the grounds that it pre-dates the foot and mouth crisis; is only about the agri-food industry and not the wider rural economy or consumers' demands for food they can trust; and that it was controlled by a narrow group of civil servants and agribusiness interests with not a consumer in sight.

Prediction
That the Minister will present the Vision Report as a 'blueprint' for the future which she is putting out to public consultation. She will make much of the importance of people submitting their views to the Department while refusing to admit that her department has a stranglehold over the process which will ensure a 'business as usual approach'.

Demand
That the Vision contains a commitment to converting 30 per cent of Northern Ireland's farmland to organic production by 2010.

Prediction
That organic agriculture will be described as a niche market deserving of many warm words.

Demand
That the Vision recognises that it is impossible for Northern Ireland to compete effectively in a global agricultural economy while preserving our diverse family farm structure.

Prediction
That the document will repeat endlessly the importance of producing food for global markets.

Demand
That the potential to produce food for local use - establishing chains of local producers, retailers and consumers - is developed as a viable alternative to depending purely on export markets.

Prediction
More of the mantra of competing in a global economy.

Demand
That health policy and food policy are integrated to provide affordable, healthy and safe food for everyone.

Prediction
That cheap, unhealthy food will prevail.

Demand
That the 'armlock' of the supermarkets is broken by assisting farmers to establish cooperatives to give them power in the marketplace.

Prediction
A supine appreciation of the 'investment' brought to Northern Ireland by the big supermarket chains.

Demand
That the Minister leads a widespread debate involving everyone from the producer to the consumer and on an agenda which allows a fundamental rethink of how we farm our countryside and produce our food.

Prediction
That the Minister will recognise that the time is ripe for such a debate and she will declare the next six months a time of unprecedented participation in shaping the future of food and farming.

Notes

[1](back)The farming blueprint is due to be presented to Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Mrs Bríd Rodgers, on Thursday 4 October 2001 by the Group set up to develop a Vision for the Future of the Northern Ireland Agri-Food sector. The group met first on 11 May 2000. Its terms of reference were:

'Taking account of the CAP and UK policies, particularly the Action Plan announced at the Downing Street Summit, and potential challenges arising from a new WTO Round and EU enlargement:

• to identify the problems, and opportunities, in the rural economy over the next decade;
  
• informed by that, to develop a vision for the agri-food industry to enable the industry to map out a strategy to meet that vision.'

[2](back) The members of the Vision Group are listed below:

Professor Jim Bell, School of International Business, University of Ulster;
Trefor Campbell, Moypark and Chair of Food Processing Group, Strategy 2010;
Allan Chambers, Ulster Farmers Union;
Colin Duffy, Northern Ireland Meat Exporters' Association;
Gerry Lowe, Chair, Livestock Marketing Commission;
Michael McAree, President, Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association;
Miceal McCoy, Chair, Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers' Association;
Joanna McVey, Chair, Rural Development Council;
Derek Shaw, Chair, Agri-Food Group, Strategy 2010;
Professor Seamus Sheehy, School of Agri-Business, University College, Dublin;
Will Taylor, Past President, Ulster Farmers Union;
Jo Whatmough, formerly of National Trust;
Pat Toal, Deputy Secretary, DARD;
Roy McClenaghan, Chief Agricultural Officer, DARD;
Graham Davis, IDB
Tom Stainer, Chief Agricultural Economist, DARD (Secretariat).