November 4, 2024

 

Ireland defends meat production despite call to cut meat consumption

 

 

The Irish government has defended Ireland's meat production in a report on the recommendations made by two citizens' assemblies last year to address biodiversity loss in Ireland.

 

The report adopted by the government responds to the 159 recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and the 58 calls to action of the Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.

 

A call to action made by the children and young people's assembly was to reduce meat consumption by introducing a meat tax, increasing horticultural production, and significantly limiting the slaughtering of animals.

 

The Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss was established by Minister for Nature, Malcolm Noonan as a parallel process to the main citizens' assembly. It brought together 35 randomly selected members aged seven to 17.

 

The report states that rising global population and income levels continues to drive demand for animal proteins, and highlights Ireland's "competitive advantage" in sustainable, grass-based beef and sheepmeat production, as well as the importance of exports.

 

The report also states that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is addressing the challenges to and supporting the growth of the horticulture industry through the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027.

 

A similar recommendation was made by the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss last year which states that "people must be encouraged to consume a more plant-based diet".

 

The Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss was comprised of 100 members, including 99 members of the public, randomly selected from households across Ireland, and an independent chair appointed by the Taoiseach.

 

The report states that a review of scientific evidence to support healthy eating guidelines in teenagers commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH) and commenced by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is expected to be complete by 2025.

 

"These new guidelines will examine evidence to support healthy eating with a particular focus on food sustainability," the report states. "Subsequently, resources to educate the public on sustainable healthy eating will be made available on the DOH website."

 

Over 90% of all recommendations and calls to action made are now considered "in progress" or "implemented", which means that elements of the recommendations are already incorporated into existing government policies and strategies.

 

The recommendations made by the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss last year called for greater enforcement of existing laws and policies to protect the natural environment, of which 17 are specific to agriculture.

 

Most of these recommendations, including on water quality, land use, and afforestation, are considered by the Irish government as "in progress" due to the actions already undertaken by farmers under various schemes.

 

The Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss also recommended new sector-specific levies/charges on agricultural exports to be introduced and ring-fenced for biodiversity. This recommendation is "not being implemented" by the government as "specific levies on targets or imports would need to be consistent with EU trade policy and must be compliant with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules".

 

Minister for Nature, Heritage, and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said the work of both assemblies "showed very clearly why we need to take an ‘all-of-government, all-of-society' approach to reversing biodiversity loss".

 

The insights that the assemblies presented were "enormously beneficial" in helping the government to shape Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) launched in January this year, he said.

 

Noonan added that Ireland's NBAP was among a selection of national policies recently assessed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and found to be "the best in Europe and one of the best in the world".

 

- Agriland