The Organic Action Plan: what's in it?

Good news for organic dairy farmers, or those considered the option. According to the new Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food�s Organic Farming Action plan, the Department will, within three years, �facilitate the expansion of organic production by the allocation of additional milk quota�.

This stands out amongst the 64 actions in the plan as one of the mostlikely to have a positive effect. This is especially the case as recently this diary carried interviews with dairy farmers who specifically made the point that quota expansion was much needed.

The DAFF plan has four objectives � to increase production, increase the knowledge base, develop the market at home and abroad and to encourage public procurement.

The plan overlaps with the Teagasc organic production plan, though there are also some suprising differences. An obvious glaring example is horticulture. The DAFF plan asks for horticulture to be included, while ,as we pointed out last week, the Teagasc plan avoids it. The DAFF plan�s horticulture references include unusual phrases like �circulate possibilities�, �should be invited� and �explore possibilities�� hardly compelling language.

Indeed, the following phrase sits alone, below a sequence of 12 targets, as a plea to whomsoever is listening: �there is clearly a need for appropriate research into horticulture and this should be examined as a matter of urgency�. A specific, timeframed target here would have been apt.

On the whole however, it is a positive document, which gives its 64 specific actions a somewhat loose timeframe: actions are either short term of medium term, ranging from one year to three years.

A notable opportunity in this plan is the UK�s importation of 4,000 tonnes of organic beef a year. Specifically, the plan states: �on a rough estimate, to supply both the home and UK market, we need 3 times the amount of beef currently produced�. This of course presumed that the UK wants to keep importing, and will do so indefinitely. It has gone through phases of importing and then �buying British� before, which has hindered the longer term growth and sustainability of the organic beef sector in Ireland.

Interestingly, the plan suggests that Organic farming has an image problem �among the farming sector�. It is suggested that junior minister Sargent will invite stakeholders together, including some of Ireland�s top class organic farmers and growers. These latter producers will explain to the other stakeholders what organic production actually is, �to allay any misconceptions they may have�.

Some targeting of the farming press with information on the demonstration farmers and individual farming sectors is also proposed. Provided this will be done properly, it will be most welcome.

Some of the actions under the increasing the knowledge base objective are very worthy. Most were covered in this diary last week. The reactivation of the full DAFF organic cereal variety testing programme and composting research stand out. However, target 33, which states �consideration should be given to the development of a degree level course� in the medium term, should have the first five words dropped.

Less space is devoted to the market development and public procurement options. Developing the market includes a section on consumer information, laments the fact that national organic week is only for one week, suggests that ongoing PR work is needed �to explain the principles of organic farming to consumers�, and that �this information needs to be disseminated widely�. However, none of this actually makes it into the actions listed. This is hopefully an oversight, as a robust standalone proud promotion of organic farming and food without fear or favour would make the consumer sit up and take notice.

A fundamental issue is the fact that those charged with promoting organic also promote conventional so differentiation between the two is always understated. The use of independent PR, the food media, celebrity chefs and so on for this ongoing job would make eminent sense.

Public procurement gets almost no space, and yet it is perhaps the easiest to do: DAFF is a public body. Already, it is my understanding that Agricultural House is occasionally getting organic food, and events and plans are underway to move this objective on, through organic stakeholder engagement with DAFF.

Here�s to more organic stakeholder involvement.