Joe Gill: Irish food firms take on the virus
Supply chains for food exports to the world must be protected, writes
Over the course of this week, Ireland will move to prioritise key elements of the economy as it battles Covid-19.
Food, medicine, power and security will form the central pillars in managing society and the economy as we step up efforts to stem the spread of this virus.
Relative to the size of its population Ireland is a superpower in food production. We consume no more than 10% of what we produce and have the capacity to feed up to 30 million people.
The range of food in which Ireland excels may not include almond-flavoured soya milk but it does master in key protein and nutrition products.
Fresh milk produced from grass-fed cows forms the source for fresh milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt. The Irish meat industry delivers high-quality safe meat.
These are the cornerstones of a food industry that will play a major part in the national effort over coming weeks.
Alongside serving the Irish economy this food industry will also play a key role in supporting the population of the UK. Britain is no more than 60% self-sufficient in food and her people could encounter material supply chain issues from continental Europe and further afield over the next number of weeks.
In that context, Ireland’s position is of strategic value, an irony that hopefully will not be lost on those who were so dismissive of Ireland in the Brexit debates.
For now, we must co-operate and help ensure production, distribution and supply lines are kept open for the emergency that is now unfolding. Sea ferries will be a critical component in the national response.
Ferries can deliver large loads of freight and cargo even if they are not able to carry passengers and cars. We are fortunate that one of the financially strong ferry companies runs between Ireland the UK and France.
Keeping the crews on these ferries safe, and ensuring ports on either side are kept open, are the tasks which both Government and company executives must now undertake. Aviation plays a role in bringing this virus to heel by grounding the commercial fleet.
This is now underway and we should assume that for the next two or three months flights will only be operated as an emergency supply line operated under strict crewing and health conditions. That means the large number of daily flights connecting the Irish economy with the UK, US and the rest of the world will virtually stop.
It will only change when the World Health Organisation deems it safe to do so. Bringing society and the economy back to normal is dependent on progress in medicine. A treatment that can be approved for elderly patients of Covid-19 will be a key step.
There is an enormous global effort underway in the pharmaceutical industry to find first effective treatments and afterwards a vaccine.
Although these are dark days the combined effort of private and public health bodies are already well advanced with advanced trails in a number of countries. News on these initiatives over coming weeks could be critical for the entire crisis and the morale of the world’s population.
When a battery of effective drugs are approved you can expect a global emergency production programme to make and distribute these across the globe.
It is at that point that a coalition of central banks, governments and large private companies can initiate a re-boot of the economy.
That will require short-term tax breaks, vouchers, massive amounts of financial liquidity and monster sales from many corporations.
All of that, however, is dependent on the delivery of effective drugs, something Irish scientists are deeply involved in currently.
Ireland must now lockdown to address this crisis and leverage the civic spirit that runs down the spine of our society.
That community effort is key to bringing life back to normal.
