Watch: CAP 'curtailed' because of war in Ukraine - O'Brien
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been "massively curtailed" because of "Russian aggression in Ukraine" according to the South Leinster chair of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), Paul O'Brien.
O'Brien was one of a number of keynote speakers at the RDS Finding Common Ground festival in Dublin today (Wednesday, April 9).
A sheep and tillage farmer in Co. Kilkenny, O'Brien highlighted the restraints put on the farming industry during the Opportunities for New Land Use Change panel.
"I suppose really the problem I have seen, is that, you know, there's so much asked of us now as an industry," he outlined.
O'Brien said: "We've been asked to reduce our emissions, we've been asked to improve biodiversity, we've been asked to I suppose do our bit for society and change land use.
"My question is, where's the funding going to come from? We’re looking at a CAP, going into a new round of negotiation, that has been massively contained in its where it needs to be, basically because of Russian aggression in Ukraine."
O'Brien also told the panel that there is an "ever increasing ask that farmers to be participants in energy production".
"More and more of our farmers have been approached by solar companies, to be a part of the wind turbine as well.
"That's another factor we can't lose all of our good agricultural lands to other uses," he warned.
The IFA South Leinster chair said this was particularly important in the context that the context of 10 billion people on the planet to feed by 2050.
The IFA's South Leinster chair also believes there is a need to increase sustainability and biodiversity, and strongly highlighted the importance of farming.
O'Brien said: "We've trade wars happening again and many different complex issues that are outside everybody in this rooms control. The reality is, that the world has become a considerably more unstable place over the last number of years.
"Throughout that time, supermarkets have been filled with products that have been produced on farms."
"My argument is that that can be done. I agree it needs to be done more sustainably, we've reduced emissions, I believe we need to improve biodiversity," O'Brien added.
The Kilkenny farmer also told the panel that farmers need to be supported to "earn a respectable living".
He said: "At the end of the day we do need a cohort of farmers, we need to support them because most of the time the price that they receive for the food that they sell into a processor is not sufficient enough to earn a respectable living."
Meanwhile the chair of the foundation board of the RDS, Cathal O'Donoghue also outlined at today's event in the RDS why he believes that there is a need for Ireland to consider an integrated way for all of the different types of land uses - many of which he believes "are competing".
"We need to think about what different land uses do in terms of value in terms of environmental goals.
"There really hasn't been an overarching framework to manage what we do with our land, and what we want from our land is becoming more and more complex," O'Donoghue added.
