Farmers urged to reap benefits of lucrative organic market

FARMERS with a big acreage of land have been urged to go the organic route and supply the multiple stores with produce.

Cook and author Darina Allen, a pioneer of organic and artisan food production in this country, said Ireland had been slow in grasping opportunities that exist for organics.

But an event such as the recent National Organics Week helps to heighten awareness from a consumer viewpoint. It also helps farmers who are dithering and wondering whether or not there is any opportunity for them in the sector.

There are just over 1,100 organic operators here, out of some 135,000 farmers. Over 37,000 hectares of land is under organic production methods, less than 1% of agricultural land.

Irish consumers spend €66 million a year on organics. But 70% of the produce sold is imported.

The main barriers to the sector’s growth are seen as the high cost of establishing enterprises, access to education and training and the need to improve marketing and distribution.

But some positive signs are emerging slowly. Last year, there was an increase of 15% on the land area in organic production, albeit from a very low base, and the organic bodies are reporting growing interest among farmers.

Bord Bia, with the help of €1.5m in Department of Agriculture and Food funding, has developed a marketing plan in consultation with the Organic Market Development Group for the development of the sector over a three-year period.

Ms Allen, founder of the internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Co Cork, said there were opportunities for farmers at local level to produce for their own area and sell to farmers’ markets.

Presently, most of the industry in Ireland is supplied by small farmers, but there are also big opportunities for larger farmers.

Ms Allen wants Irish farmers to look at the big organic farms in Britain to see what it is like to operate at that level.

“There is a huge opportunity for farmers with big acreage to convert to organic and to supply the multiples,” she said.

Noting that the multiples in particular can’t get enough products, she said she had suggested to them that they might commission local farmers to grow for them and guarantee them a price.

“If the supermarkets really want Irish organic produce and sell it, which is what they say they want, they could guarantee local farmers to pay them so much for their crop and they will get them to grow for them,” she said.

Ms Allen said every country is reporting a dramatic growth in demand for organic produce, artisan and specialist foods. The demand in Ireland went up by 11% in 2005.

“In Britain, the demand for organic products went up 30%, and in the United States it is a totally mainstream business. Their dilemma is to get the supplies,” she said.

Consumers are also becoming much more interested in how food is produced. Consumers who visit farmers’ markets look for local food in the first instance and then they look for organic. And it is not just the middle classes.

“A lot of young couples with children are anxious to give them organic foods, while older people look for forgotten flavour,” she said.

Ms Allen said Ireland has a green image and natural resources. It can grow grass like no other place and has the climate — all beef and lamb could be organic. But it was important to ensure that Ireland is GM-free so that it can say that it is producing clean and safe food less intensively and competitively.

“That, in my opinion, is where the future of Irish agriculture is,” she said.