Beef up food security, IFA warns EU

BRAZILIAN beef imports into Europe are being driven on the back of rainforests being destroyed, which in turn is a major contributor to global warming, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has claimed.

IFA livestock committee chairman, John Bryan, said European beef meets the highest quality standards.

But he claimed it is being replaced on the European market with inferior imports, from Brazil and South America, which are produced from the clearance of the rainforests.

Mr Bryan said the recent Stern report on global warming stated that carbon emissions from deforestation are estimated to represent more than 18% of global emissions, a share greater than what is produced by the global transport sector.

A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture on the Brazilian livestock industry claimed cattle ranchers there are responsible for 75% of the deforestation of the Amazon as opposed to wood producers.

Mr Bryan said foot and mouth disease in Bolivia and the bird flu outbreak in Britain should set off alarm bells in Brussels.

He added that a new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Bolivia is a real threat for Brazil, which has a huge, uncontrolled land border with that country.

Smuggling and a lack of cattle tagging mean there are higher risks associated with beef imports from Brazil.

Mr Bryan said EU policy was eroding European food security and damaging the global environment.