Major food safety crisis had been forewarned
Unsustainable lengthening of the food supply chain was identified as a common and important underlying cause of a spate of widespread and global food security problems, by ex-Teagasc director Liam Downey, now at NUI, Maynooth; and Michael Doherty and Gordon Purvis of UCD.
They said what is generally referred to as the food supply chain was no longer a chain. “Rather, it comprises a series of virtually independent components, each primarily concerned with its own efficiency and profitability.” Sharing of knowledge, mutual understanding and trust between farmers, food processors, retailers and consumers was declining and ultimately ceasing.
“The absence of overall transparency and accountability is seriously undermining consumer confidence in the prevailing agri-food system,” the experts warned.
This trend was due to increased globalisation in agriculture, and has become one of the greatest challenges for European agri-food production, they told the veterinary conference.
They called for a shortening of the food supply chain, and for sustainable, competitive farm production systems, based on value-added products with established regional identity and high traceability. “A major food safety crisis may first have to be endured, however, before such innovations are fully availed of,” they warned.
However, it was acknowledged that in developing new farm production systems, the cost of livestock feeding would have to be minimised.
The presentation to the veterinary conference included, “Tinkering with the prevailing farming systems will not lead to the development of a sustainably competitive agriculture. This requires a fundamental mind-shift from farming subsidies to harnessing knowledge in the development of innovation.”
“A fundamental concern in this regard is the capacity of existing organisations, including public institutions and rural businesses and services, to change and respond in a quite unprecedented way, so as to develop innovative farm production systems.”
