Ireland well-placed to assess global food challenges, says Coveney

Ireland is well-placed to assess global food security challenges, having moved from subsistence farming in the 1950s to now producing enough food for nine times our population, according to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Addressing the ‘Feeding The World in 2050’ conference in UCD, Mr Coveney said: “The priority for agricultural growth, and this applies to developed and developing countries, should be how can we can improve productivity in the agricultural sector. This requires investment, particularly in R&D, but is essential if the world’s food insecurity issues are to be resolved.

“If there is one lesson from the story of Irish agriculture which we would like to pass on it is that sustainable intensification of your agriculture sector is essential if its potential is to be fully realised. This is a message which I am also pushing strongly in the current CAP negotiations with our EU partners.”