Irish Examiner view: Self-reliance makes more sense in an unstable world 

War in Ukraine will lead to a cut in wheat supplies to the West. Increasing our own crop yields offers a partial solution but we must wean ourselves away from our exposure to commodities at the end of a risky geopolitical supply line.

The plan to get farmers growing wheat and other crops would signal a significant shift in agricultural practices in the country.

The Second World War phrase “keep calm and carry on” enjoyed something of a resurgence during the financial crises of the last decade and, at least, proved more actionable than the limp slogan of the Covid years — that one about “the new normal”. Now, we are ploughing another retro theme, with the entreaties to farmers to grow crops on their land to soften the economic and financial impact of the awful war in Ukraine.

‘Digging for victory’ may not bring Vladimir Putin down or stop the carnage in the steppes but it will mark a step towards the self-sufficiency we need to achieve within a short number of years. It will offset the risk of rationing and send a signal that the Kremlin war machine has wrought profound changes in our ongoing relationship with Moscow. The ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign was set up during the Second World War by the British agriculture ministry. Open spaces — from domestic gardens to public parks and even the lawns outside the Tower of London — were turned into vegetable patches.

Change of shape

In Ireland, the plan to get farmers growing wheat and other crops would signal a significant shift in agricultural practices in the country, with beef farmers being encouraged to grow small amounts of grain for their own on-farm consumption. Thousands of farmers who have got out of tillage in recent years will be encouraged to return to growing crops.

In some ways, such a campaign is very much in tune with modern thinking with recessionary and supply chain pressures marching alongside anxieties about food miles and climate change. Much less tractable is the issue of energy where it is simply not possible to change supply overnight.

In many ways, we must wean ourselves away from our exposure to manic changes in foreign policy emanating from the Palace of Congresses in Vozdvizhenka, Moscow. This will not be easily accomplished. Efforts will involve both setbacks and compromises. The road ahead is long.