Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett, at the launch of the National Organic Strategy for 2024-2030.

Ministers Hackett and McConalogue launch National Organic Strategy 2024–2030

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Local Senator Pippa Hackett and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue TD have launched the National Organic Strategy for 2024-2030.

Senator Hackett, who is also Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, joined Minister McConalogue and Organic Forum Chair Padraig Brennan in launching the strategy in the Organic Village at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Laois, on Wednesday, September 18.

Minister McConalogue said: “I committed €256 million to organic farming in the new CAP Strategic Plan, and it is rewarding to see that investment already beginning to bear fruit. We also recently saw this acknowledged by the Climate Change Advisory Council report, which praised the Government’s commitment to organic farming.

“The Organic Forum, led by Padraig Brennan, has produced a Strategy that is balanced and credible, which identifies a significant opportunity for Ireland in moving to a position of world leadership in organic farming.

Continuing, Minister McConalogue said: “The Strategy recognises the crucial role organic farming has and will continue to play in rural and coastal communities, and in achieving balanced regional development for the country as a whole.

“Ireland is the sustainable food capital of the world, and this strategy is a key part of Food Vision 2030, which underlines the important linkages between food and health and nutrition, and the fundamental importance of food safety and quality in achieving a premium position in key markets.

I am delighted that the Government endorses and supports the strategy, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders in its implementation.”

Padraig Brennan, Chair of the Organic Strategy Forum; Minister of State with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD; Frank Mara, Director of Teagasc; and Francie Gorman, President IFA at the launch of the National Organic Strategy for 2024-2030.

In her address, Senator Hackett said, “Since 2021, we have seen unprecedented growth in organic farming in Ireland, and our aim now is to reach 10% of land being farmed organically by 2030.

We have an ambitious aim in this Strategy to treble the wholesale value of organic output to €750 million by 2030, which will ultimately benefit the thousands of Irish farmers who have converted to organics in recent years.

Organic farming is embedded in government policy, through Food Vision 2030, the CAP Strategic Plan, the Climate Action Plan, the new Green Public Procurement Strategy and the increased investment by Bord Bia and Teagasc in supporting organic food production.

“A key element of our ambition is to increase organic processing capacity, and this year we doubled the support available and increased the grant rate significantly in response to the growing demand for Irish organic produce.

“Organic farming delivers for climate, water quality, biodiversity and soil; we have made huge strides over the first half of this decade and this Strategy sets out the roadmap to do even more between now and 2030.”

Organic Forum chair Padraig Brennan concluded: “The implementation plan clearly outlines the responsibilities of each stakeholder to ensure the delivery of our collective ambitions.

"This will drive the work programme of the Organic Forum in the period ahead, and ensure that we position the organic sector strongly in Ireland, and, increasingly, in export markets.”

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