Farming bailouts a barrier to climate-resilient food system

Farmers need and deserve wide public support however that support is under increasing strain and will not last while the focus of the industry is on maintaining business as usual

Although farmers retain strong public support, citizens increasingly see the farming lobby as a block on progress. As a consequence, the social contract with farmers is breaking down. Picture: iStock

Is the Irish taxpayer set to foot the bill for yet another climate related bailout of the livestock industry? The answer, according to one farm leader is “certainly yes” as farmers in the east and south are already eating into their supplies of winter fodder due to ongoing drought.

The willingness of the Irish citizen, in the form of the Minister for Agriculture, as being always on hand with a bailout to keep our livestock-based agricultural system going, is a major barrier to creating a climate-resilient food system. Farmers do not need to assess risk they way other business owners do when they can be fairly certain that a rescue package will arrive. Bailouts don’t tend to come with strings attached, so post-crisis, business picks up as it was before and we wait until the next disaster arrives.