FOOD SECURITY: Builders and developers will have to provide land for urban farming and community allotments alongside future housing developments, according to Minister of State for Food Trevor Sargent.
Food will also be grown on allotments that are part of Office of Public Works land.
"Ireland now faces a similar challenge as Britain experienced during the second World War, when its government realised there was a clear need for food security. They went from being 120 days self-reliant for food to 160 days," the Minister said.
Departments of Health, Environment, Enterprise, and Trade and Employment will co-operate on the review, which came about after Feasta, a Dublin-based environmental economics organisation, urged the Government to draw up a food security roadmap and an emergency food plan.
"There's probably not a week's supply of food here for everyone in Dublin, let alone the country. We've seen food riots around the world, but it could easily happen here," said Feasta expert Bruce Darrell.
Following reports that the British government recently discussed the possibility of supermarkets stockpiling food, Mr Sargent revealed he will raise the matter with stores here.
"Food security will be on the agenda at my next meetings with supermarkets. We are self-sufficient in meat and butter and food exports far exceed our imports. But we need to build food security that is removed from the energy crisis and the oil price," he said.
