2009: THE ORGANIC YEAR THAT WAS

In spite of the trials and tribulations every aspect of Irish life has faced this year, organic farming and food has managed to stand tall.

Difficult, challenging, and testing times no doubt, and more yet to come. This is not to say of course that everyone has grown their business, that all have even survived. It is to say, however, that the organic movement is resilient.

The organic year began with a slightly unusual announcement: the arrival of a new certification body: IMO. This global organisation specialises in various ethical certifications, including organic.

Their arrival may in the coming years open up export markets, expertise and multi layered certification and validation of Irish organic products, which may well help build the Irish organic sector - who knows? Its up to farmers and food producers to be innovative in this regard.

February saw the largest delegation yet of Irish organic food businesses at the BioFach trade show in Germany. This was one of the many innovative actions the Department of Agriculture and the organic sector took: the necessity of a weak UK market bred the ingenuity of new European markets.

The summer saw two significant occurrences: the UK Food Standards Authority's (FSA) report on nutrition, and the figures on the growth of the organic market in Ireland. This report was, in my own reasonably informed opinion, flawed in numerous ways.

In brief, however, regarding the nutritional superiority of organic over conventional: a conclusion of 'not enough evidence to make a case either ways' would have been far more accurate than the actual report's conclusion of 'no evidence'.

New excellent award winning organic products emerged: simple, honest foods like Moonshine Milk, Drumeen Farm Happy Heart Oil and Sowan's bread.

In my own small way, myself and Joe Condon have been adding to this by beavering away on the Organics with Altitude initiative. This encourages hill farmers to consider suitable upland breeds, artisan butchering, direct selling and organic certification. It has been going well for us, and I've really enjoyed getting out and about meeting farmers from Donegal to Kerry.

Also during the summer, Foras Organach was established, a streamlined and industry-led way to help develop the sector, whilst public procurement of organic finally began.

Despite or perhaps even because of the recession, the organic market actually grew in the period up to last records, July. It grew at a faster rate than its previous rate of growth,which was fast anyway. Few other areas are also growing in the Irish economy: as a stark contrast, pharmaceuticals and the multinational sector in general are.

A crucial difference between organic and these other growth areas is that organic is about one of Ireland's key and immovable natural resources � the land. Organic doesn't even have the option of relocating to Bangalore or New Deili: multi and transnational capital always has that option.

In this light, it is at least heartening that the 2009 reviewed programme for government renewed and indeed strengthened its commitment to organic.

Post budget, it was announced that all the organic cash was coming back: grant aid and both the in-conversion and area-based payments are being reintroduced at the previous levels.

And, happy new year folks: the Organic Farming Scheme returns tomorrow. Subject to new organic farmers completing a training course and business plan, they can apply from tomorrow on.

It cannot have been easy for the Minister with responsibility for organic farming, Trevor Sargent, to achieve this in the worst economic meltdown the country has even seen.

I genuinely do not think that the organic movement knows how blessed it is to have a supportive, hard working and, yes even visionary Minister at the helm: how would organic have fared in budgetary cutbacks if a journeyman with no real commitment to the sector was in there instead?

The biggest single remaining block to growth now is the issue regarding REPS 2 and REPS 3 farmers not actually being allowed convert to organic: some 30,000 don't even have the option, unless they pull out of REPS and return their payments.

Here's hoping that this crucial barrier is lifted in the New Year.

the end of REPS : implications for organic farmers

Organic farmers are still reeling from the twin cuts in REPS and the Organic Grant Aid scheme.

According to Kate Carmody, Chairperson of IOFGA, �many farmers had been finishing up their current REPS plans and were waiting to join REPS 4 and convert to organic farming. We currently have many members who are finalising their applications for grant aid and IOFGA are very disappointed with the short notice given to announce that the scheme was closing�.

Some organic farmers I have spoken to have claimed that they were advised by their REPS planners not to try to transfer out from REPS 3 to REPS 4, as the waiting lists were said to be too long.

This, coupled with the fact that some farmers did manage to transfer successfully from REPS 3 to REPS 4 has especially angered farmers.

It is now the case that some farmers will have five years of funding, totaling tens of thousands of euros, while competing in the cattle mart with neighbours with no such cushion. Farmers have described this situation as anti competitive.

IOFGA also felt that it was very important to mention that REPS and the Organic Farming Scheme are separate, and that the Organic Farming Scheme is still very much open:

�We would like to point out that the Organic Farming Scheme is still open to people and overall we are hopeful that the stability within the organic sector given the current economic difficulties will still encourage people to convert to organic production and help the market realise its potential here in Ireland.

The Organic Trust has been especially vocal in its criticism: �The Organic Trust have expressed very serious concerns about the closure of REPS 4 as this will adversely affect the on-farm incomes of 33,000 farmers over the next 2-3 years. This will have a devastating affect on the rural economy and the horrific consequences of this decision across the Irish economy generally will become evident very soon.�

They point out that farmers in REPS 2 and 3 farmers �would have had a valid expectation that they could enter REPS 4 on the completion of their REPS 3� and that they are now at a �severe disadvantage� because of �this arbitrary decision� which, they suggest, was not as a result of any �fair or equitable selection process.�

Specifically in relation to organic farmers, according to Helen Scully of the Organic Trust: �900 organic producers in REPS 3/2 will have their incomes significantly reduced when their REPS 3/2 contracts end which will undoubtedly have an adverse affect on the modus operandi of those farms - farms which are producing top class organic food in a sustainable and responsible manner.�

While many have suggested that the ending of REPS will have negative consequences as regards government aims for increasing organic farming's land base from 1 to 5%, the situation is not entirely clear cut.

It may also be the case that the Organic Farming Scheme will now appear more attractive than it previously did. This may especially be the case for what will be an increasing yearly number of former REPS farmers.

The lack of REPS money may in fact lead to a rush towards the Organic Farming Scheme: less intensive sheep and beef farmers may see it as one of the few remaining funding options.

This could have implications as regards sustaining what there is of a price premium in beef and sheep.

This then could lead to relative over-subscriptions and corollary pressures on available funding.

However in a context of a government target of 5%, it would be incredible if funding was not available to cope with an influx of farmers: increased numbers are inevitable with a move towards 5%, and this will incur costs for the state.

Should such a rush occur, it is likely that, with the ending of the grant aid for organic, beef and sheep will continue to be the main area of new conversions to organic.