The Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) costs €2 per week per EU citizen but returns enormous benefits to them by way of food security, protection of the environment and dealing with climate change, according to Pádraig Walshe, the Irish Farmers’ Association president.
He was speaking at the launch of an EU-wide information campaign by Europe’s farmers to convince the public of the importance of farming policy as it comes up for review. “Since its inception, the Cap has provided European consumers with a guaranteed supply of safe, high-quality food at reasonable prices.
“While Irish and European food is renowned for its quality, food prices have actually lagged well behind general inflation.
“This was largely as a result of financial supports provided by Cap to farmers. For example, since Ireland joined the EU in 1973, the average household expenditure of consumers on food has fallen from 17 per cent to just 7 per cent of disposable income,” he said.
The IFA launched the event on Maguire’s farm at Kiltiernan, Co Dublin, where three newly elected MEPs, Mairéad McGuinness, Alan Kelly and Liam Aylward, representing the three main political parties, also attended. The association is to distribute a booklet containing facts on the policy which they believe is under attack.
“The future of the Cap will have significant implications for all stakeholders and for the Irish economy as a new Common Agricultural Policy will be decided between now and 2013,” Mr Walshe said.
“Today’s launch with the newly elected Irish MEPs is the beginning of an information campaign by farmers to 500 million European consumers about the real benefits to them as well as to the EU’s 12 million family farmers.
“Over the years Irish farmers have responded to the changing direction provided by Cap to build Ireland into a food nation, where today we export over €8 billion worth of produce to over 150 countries across the world and farming and the agri-food sector supports over 300,000 Irish jobs.”
Mr Walsh said more than 65,000 Irish farmers were involved in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and that the Cap provided a net inflow of €1.3 billion a year into farming and the food sector.