Action plan for seafood, agri-food and forestry sectors

seafood

A seventy-five point action plan ‘to develop a sustainable, innovative and competitive agri-food,  forestry and seafood sector’ is identified in a Statement of Strategy (2021-2024).

Launching the plan, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said that Action Plan 2021 will build “significant work” already underway by the department.

“The key priority for me as Minister is the protection of incomes and the sustainable development of our sector. Our farmers, fishers and food producers face many challenges as they continue to provide high-quality food, fish and timber.

“We will provide a policy platform that protects incomes, ensures that our food offering is safe and of the highest quality and that our industry is environmentally sustainable and competitive.”

The strategy sets out five goals underpinned by actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water and air quality and reverse biodiversity decline. This will ‘give effect to the Programme for Government commitment to make climate action a core pillar of department strategies’, according to DAFM.

Strategic goals

  • promote and safeguard public, animal and plant health and animal welfare for the benefit of consumers, producers, the economy and wider society
  • provide income and targeted supports to  farm families and others in the agri-food sector to underpin the balanced rural economy and optimise environmental sustainability
  • provide the optimum policy framework for the sustainable development of the agri-food sector
  • deliver a sustainable, competitive and innovative seafood sector, driven by a skilled workforce, delivering value-added products in line with consumer demand
  • maintain and develop strategic, operational, regulatory and technical capacity and capability to deliver excellent services to customers

Ongoing work

  • providing vital supports to fishers, farmers and foresters
  • finalising and publishing 10-year strategy for the agri-food sector to deliver on a ‘key commitment’ of the Programme of Government that calls  for an ‘ambitious blueprint, taking into account climate action and environmental obligations
  • developing Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan
  • designing, developing and commencing transitional 2021 schemes
  • implementing Ireland’s first over-arching Animal Welfare Strategy
  • working to develop initiatives and policies to underpin and support farm and fisher incomes

 

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