Submission by Talamh Beo to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the Statement of Strategy 2025–2027:
Farming for the Future: Agroecology, Land Access, and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
Introduction
Talamh Beo welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) consultation on its Statement of Strategy 2025–2027. As a grassroots farmers’ organisation committed to agroecology and food sovereignty, we are deeply concerned about the future viability of Irish farming. With an ageing farming population, increasing input costs, rising land prices, and mounting environmental pressures, Ireland needs a new vision for agriculture—one that prioritises soil health, biodiversity, economic resilience, and generational renewal.
This submission outlines seven key areas where we believe the Department must act decisively:
- Mainstreaming Agroecology and Reducing Input Dependency
- Supporting Domestic Food Production and Food Sovereignty
- Establishing a New National Land Commission for Land Access and Equity
- Ambitious Nature Restoration on Public Lands
- Generational Renewal in Agriculture
- Gender Equality and Inclusion in Agriculture
- A Participatory and Empowering Approach to Agricultural Policy
Mainstreaming Agroecology and Reducing Input Dependency
Ireland’s farming model remains heavily dependent on external inputs, including synthetic fertilisers, imported animal feed, and fossil fuel-based machinery. This model is environmentally unsustainable and economically vulnerable.
Agroecology offers a viable alternative. By working with natural systems, farmers can reduce input use, improve soil fertility, enhance biodiversity, and build climate resilience. Practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, mixed farming, composting, and agroforestry can restore natural cycles and reduce dependence on costly inputs.
Recommendations:
- Develop an Agroecology Action Plan, aligning with FAO’s “10 Elements of Agroecology” and the UN Committee on World Food Security’s HLPE framework.
- Establish a National Agroecology Support Service within Teagasc to provide free, peer-led training and advice.
- Redirect a portion of CAP Pillar II funds towards agroecological transition supports.
- Introduce a fertiliser and feed reduction roadmap with clear targets by 2030, supported by advisory and financial tools.
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Supporting Domestic Food Production and Food Sovereignty
Ireland’s food system is excessively export-oriented, with limited state support for diversified, small-scale, and regional food production for domestic consumption. In a time of global supply chain instability and climate change, food sovereignty must become a central pillar of national food security.
Recommendations:
- Develop a National Local Food Policy Framework to expand regional food systems.
- Establish producer hubs, shared infrastructure, and local processing facilities.
- Mandate public procurement of Irish-grown, agroecologically produced food for schools, hospitals, and other institutions.
- Provide targeted funding for horticulture, pulses, grains, and protein crops for human consumption.
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Establishing a National Land Commission
Access to land is a critical barrier for new entrants and young farmers. Land speculation, corporate investment, and inheritance-based transfers have locked many out of agriculture.
Recommendations:
- Establish a National Land Commission to:
- Monitor land use, concentration, and availability (via a Land Observatory).
- Create a state land bank to support long-term leases for agroecological farmers.
- Develop intergenerational land transfer schemes.
- Introduce land price controls and pre-emption rights for local food producers.
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Ambitious Nature Restoration on Public Lands
Ireland must take leadership on biodiversity and climate action by using its public land portfolio to pilot ecosystem restoration and linked wildlife corridors.
Recommendations:
- Designate at least 30% of state-owned land for nature restoration and rewilding.
- Develop a National Wildlife Corridor Strategy linking uplands, waterways, forests, and farmland.
- Partner with community groups and farmers to co-manage and restore public lands.
- Align with the EU Nature Restoration Law and Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
References:
Generational Renewal in Agriculture
Generational renewal is critical for the future of Irish farming. A significant proportion of land is held by older farmers with no clear transition pathway for successors. Without intervention, we risk further land abandonment and consolidation.
Recommendations:
- Create a publicly funded Farmer Retirement Scheme that ensures financial security for retiring farmers who transfer land to new entrants.
- Introduce pension top-ups and tax incentives linked to land transfer.
- Establish planning exemptions for on-farm eco-housing for new entrants.
- Prioritise support for agroecological start-ups through targeted grants and advisory services.
- Develop succession support programmes for farm families to facilitate early and voluntary handover of farms.
References:
Gender Equality and Inclusion in Agriculture
Structural barriers continue to exclude women, youth and other marginalised groups—such as single parents, widows, people with disabilities, migrants, and minorities—from fully participating in farming. These groups face disproportionate challenges in accessing land, credit, representation, and education. A just agricultural transition must embed equity at every level.
Recommendations:
- Create targeted access to credit and micro-finance for women and low-income or marginalised farmers to enable participation in CAP pay-first-claim-later schemes.
- Commission participatory, community-led research to identify and address structural barriers to land use and ownership.
- Audit representation across DAFM, Teagasc, Bord Bia, and other bodies; include underrepresented farmers on stakeholder groups.
- Mainstream gender and inclusion across agricultural education and research; introduce childcare supports to enable wider participation in training, leadership, and policy spaces.
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A Participatory and Empowering Policy Approach
Current agricultural policy often relies on compliance-focused, top-down approaches. This “carrot and stick” method has alienated many farmers and fails to harness the innovation, knowledge, and commitment of farming communities.
Recommendations:
- Establish permanent Farmer Citizens’ Assemblies on agricultural and food policy.
- Ensure that all new policies are co-developed with farmer organisations, including those representing small-scale, young, and agroecological farmers.
- Prioritise advisory and mentorship-based support over inspections and penalties.
- Recognise farming as a public service, essential to food security, ecosystem health, and rural vitality.
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Conclusion The next Statement of Strategy offers a unique opportunity for DAFM to lead a just and sustainable transition in Irish agriculture. By embedding agroecology, expanding land access, investing in domestic food systems, restoring nature, securing generational renewal, empowering women, and genuinely engaging with farmers, we can build a farming model fit for the 21st century.
Talamh Beo stands ready to work with the Department and other stakeholders to deliver this vision and ensure that more hands return to the land, supported, valued, and empowered.
