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NFFN Northern Ireland joins call for more organic farming support

Northern Ireland
Policy & Views
Organic
policy
DAERA

Organisations and farmers are highlighting worrying gaps in investment and ambition compared with other UK nations.

NFFN Northern Ireland (NI) is supporting a joint call for greater government support for organic farming, amid fears that the country is falling further behind other parts of the UK.

NFFN NI, along with the Soil Association, the Landworkers’ Alliance and a number of farmers, signed an open letter to DAERA minister Andrew Muir, highlighting the lack of financial support and training opportunities holding back the organic sector.

Organic farming currently faces an uncertain future in Northern Ireland, with existing environmental agreements expiring and no dedicated financial support for new entrants or farmers wishing to convert from more intensive systems.

The open letter’s signatories recently met at Helen’s Bay Organic in County Down to develop a shared voice calling for better recognition of organic farming and more investment in the sector.

The open letter sets out four main demands for the minister and DAERA:

  • Reinstate financial support for organic conversion and ongoing management. This will help existing organic farms to continue and enable new entrants to join the sector.

  • Invest in appropriate equipment to support organic farming systems and improve farm viability.

  • Strengthen education and training. This is vital to enable farmers and growers to share knowledge and develop their businesses.

  • Develop local and new markets for Northern Ireland’s organic produce through greater promotion and institutional support.

Organic farmers attending the meeting described a funding cliff edge following the closure, in 2022, of the Organic Farming Conversion and Management Measures which formed part of the Environmental Farming Scheme.

There is also a stark contrast between the lack of official support for organic farming in Northern Ireland and the measures in place elsewhere in the UK. The Westminster Government recently published an Organic Action Plan for England, which aims to treble the area of organic farmland from 3.4% to 10% over the next decade. There are also measures in place to support organic farming in Wales and Scotland.

Organic farming has previously received much greater support in Northern Ireland than it does today. We urgently need to rediscover the value of organic approaches.

Cormac Dolan

The lack of investment in organic farming is all the more frustrating given its potential to tackle some of agriculture’s most pressing issues. At a time when the negative environmental impacts of intensive farming are making headlines, and climate change is affecting yields and farm viability, organic farming offers a low-input approach to food production that can also help restore nature.

Organic farming reduces reliance on synthetic pesticides and other inputs, and helps support soil health. Healthier soils, with higher levels of organic matter, can also help farms become more resilient to extreme weather events.

In their open letter to DAERA, the farmers argue that now is the time to commit to organic farming, with food security making headlines and the negative impacts of conventional farming - particularly on water quality - receiving increasing public attention.

Cormac Dolan, NFFN NI manager, said: “Organic farming has previously received much greater support in Northern Ireland than it does today. We urgently need to rediscover the value of organic approaches, especially as the other UK nations and the Republic of Ireland forge ahead with long-term strategies to support the sector.

“Food and farming face major threats from the climate crisis and the loss of nature and biodiversity. We need to recognise that organic agriculture offers affordable, practical solutions that support farm resilience and viability, while also providing people with high-quality, nutrient-dense food.”

The group has offered to meet with Minister Muir and DAERA civil servants to discuss its proposals, stressing that a greater commitment to organic farming would help Stormont tackle many of its environmental and food security issues.

Farmers are also keen for policymakers to understand that Northern Ireland needs a long-term approach that recognises the value of organic farming and gives farmers the financial certainty and practical support they need to deliver it.

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