In his keynote address to the recent Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA ) AGM, Minister for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent made all the right soundings.
He reiterated the government commitment to the �growth and development of the organic sector�.
The Organic Farming Scheme will reopen in January 2010 and the Minister also hopes to reopen the schemes of grant aid for the development of the organic sector in January.
Minister Sargent himself is one of IOFGA's 155 new organic producer applicants.
Managing the political balance nicely, when I spoke to him at the event, he pointed out that he was getting certified by both IOFGA and the Organic Trust.
�Even though my patch is probably the smallest one in the country registered as organic I am delighted with it and enjoy all of the fresh produce that it yields though small in scale�.
This small patch is in fact extremely fertile, informative and productive: you can follow its progress, from bottling beetroot to taking everlasting cabbage cuttings, here
The Minister also pointed out that, following the committment in the Programme for Government, �a voluntary non-gm label for producers is also in the planning stages.�
The most recent figures on the numbers farming organically were presented: �1,532 organic operators in Ireland with 48,911 hectares of land under organic production methods which represents about 1.25% of overall agricultural land� according to the Minister.
He also noted that �the number of applications for the Schemes of Grant Aid for the Development of the Organic Sector has increased substantially in the last two years�. Grant aid was suspended in July, as �the applications on hand had fully taken up this year's allocation�.However, �after the new estimates are decided I hope I can re-open these Schemes in January next.�
Progress in public procurement was noted: the Marine Institute has now upped its organic menu to two days per week, while the canteen in the mothership itself, Agriculture House, has committed two days per week to organic.
The minister also reaffirmed his commitment to organic horticulture, and spoke of a �deficit of expert horticultural advice� in Ireland.
This is however questionable. Hundreds of people have actually been trained in organic horticulture in Ireland over the years, far more than in any other organic farming or growing sector.
And yet very few have transferred over to being full time field scale growers, or even market gardeners.
At times, the organic horticulture training has seemed to be as much about social inclusion and self sufficiency as about ramping up production. Laudable and all as these former motivations are, there is also surely a place for the latter.
To this end, yet more efforts are being made, including the establishment of Organic Growers of Ireland, and the emphasis on organic horticulture in the programme for government. Also, the personnel on the new organic development body Foras Organach is revealing.
Padraig Fahy, organic grower and direct seller, who is actually one of those who came through Drumcollagher organic training collage, sells organic fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets in Galway and Westmeath.
Noel Groom, chair of Foras Organach heads up a major fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler in north county Dublin.
IOFGA also announced a new board: The new chairperson is Dr. Sinead Neiland from the Organic College in Dromcollogher.
Newly elected board members are Dominic Leonard, an organic farmer in Laois; Clare O Connor owner of Manna Organic Store in Tralee and organic grower; Gillian Westbrook Research Executive from the ICSA and Kitty Scully from the Nano Nagle Centre for Ecology and Spirituality in Cork.
In Trevor Sargent, the organic sector has a Minister who understands both its needs and its motivations. From global food security to powdery mildew in his own back garden, he is on song - singing from the organic hymn sheet. Here's hoping the organic sector is in tune.
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