We need to get on the road to self-sufficiency

THERE is still an obsession in Ireland with the mantra of “export-led economic growth” whilst businesses are closing down and others failing to start up and other countries are all now feeling the pinch and exports are struggling to do much more than tread water.

What about the idea of reducing imports as a way of improving our resilience and reducing our debt? Ways of reducing imports would include a campaign for buying Irish and support for more local food and timber initiatives.

Agroforestry initiatives (combining food and timber in carefully designed systems rather than separate fields and plantations) would be particularly appropriate throughout Ireland and tick the additional boxes of biodiversity enhancement, carbon sequestration, flood attenuation, soil stabilisation, improved soil fertility and enhanced landscape character.