Organic growers in the Irish Republic, unhappy with what they perceive as a lack of attention being given to horticulture, have decided to opt out from under the movement’s overall umbrella and set up their own representative body.
Organic Growers of Ireland, which is currently recruiting members, has had an enthusiastic response to the go-it-alone initiative, according to Jason Horner, one of the founders of the new body. “We just felt we weren’t being represented, so we decided to do something about it,” said Horner, a Yorkshireman who moved to County Clare some 20 years ago and has been actively involved in the organic movement, led by the Irish Organic Farmers’ & Growers’ Association (IOFGA).
The new body will now be pressing for a voice on the various steering, advisory, certification and marketing groups involved with organics, and calling for a more prominent role for horticulture in future state action plans. “We were very disappointed with the plans published by the department of agriculture and by Teagasc, the farm research and advisory service,” said Horner, “as they seemed to concentrate almost solely on beef, sheep and dairying.”
He praises the energy and enthusiasm that horticulture minister Trevor Sargent has brought to the job, but is critical of his stated ambition to increase the agricultural land under organic production to five per cent by 2012. That plan is area-based, he said, when the emphasis so far as horticulture is concerned should be on productivity.
Organic Growers of Ireland will be arranging a series of farm walks, with Horner, a part-time teacher of horticulture, among the guides. It will also be organising study trips to Britain, where links have been established with the Organic Growers’ Alliance, which is seen as a model for the new Irish body.
The organisation has set out a range of objectives aimed at strengthening and developing the Irish sector, including a training programme for members and would-be members, more effective promotion of produce, improved access to technical data and the encouragement of networking among members to share practical and market information. An interactive website will also be established, offering technical advice, a discussion board and buying and selling areas.
The Irish organic sector is worth around €150 million (£135m) to the economy, with horticulture a relatively small contributor to that. But Horner is optimistic about its development prospects. He cites a recent survey carried out for Bord Bia that showed an 11 per cent increase in organic sales compared to just two per cent for traditional produce.
Even with increased demand, much of the organic produce bought by Irish consumers is imported. Horner acknowledges that, but sees it as a positive sign. “It means we have an established market here, even at a time of recession,” he said, “and that there is huge scope for developing the sector.”
