Beef chairman of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), Edmund Graham, has welcomed the recommendations in the report on “The Future of the Beef Sector in the Context of Food Wise 2025”.
In the report, the Committee strongly objected any EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement, believing that the prospective agreement, as it stands, will have ‘unintended consequences’.
The committee took exception to the 'substantial amount of less carbon efficient beef that would enter the EU market', saying that this is unacceptable 'given the EU’s, and Ireland’s, increased focus on addressing climate change’.
Rank Hypocrisy
Graham said he particularly welcomed this recommendation on the Mercosur deal.
“It is rank hypocrisy for the EU to insist on challenging climate change targets while supporting the importation of surplus beef from South America, involving the cutting down of rain forest,” Graham said.
The ICSA said that it is calling on the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee to immediately convey a very strong message to the Taoiseach that its members will vote against any Mercosur deal.
“In turn, the Taoiseach needs to make it clear at EU level that Ireland will reject a bad Mercosur deal,” Graham continued.
He also welcomed the recommendation to focus on tighter regulation of the food chain, but admitted that this would need to be a “collaborative effort at EU level”.
The ICSA also elected a new President yesterday, appointing Edmond Phelan to the position.
Phelan will serve a two-year term, up to 2021.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
