Press release
Minister Hackett announces 12 local and national projects to support organics
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, today announced that twelve proposals to promote organic production have been selected and awarded funding of €1.1 million.
Minister Hackett stated:
“Earlier this year I announced a call for projects to promote organic production in Ireland, in line with the European Organic Action Plan. I want to thank all the applicants for the quality of the wide and varied proposals that were received by my department. The projects selected cover a very broad area, from living mulches to advisory support for organic farmers to the potential for organic butter, and everything in between. This call will further support the Programme for Government target of 10% of all land farmed organically by 2030. The call, the first of its kind for the organic sector, encouraged innovative proposals, and the successful applicants will now be engaging in a range of activities to highlight the benefits of organic production in Ireland.”
Minister Hackett added:
“I wish all participants well, and I look forward to the successful application of their projects in a way that will encourage further engagement in, and development of, the organics sector in Ireland. This is a further important element in the support structure for the sector that is being put in place. I look forward to seeing the results and impacts of these projects over the next year.”
Ireland's Programme for Government has set a target of more than tripling the organic land area by 2027 to approximately 336,000 hectares. This target has been incorporated into Irelands CAP Strategic Plan, Food Vision 2030 and our Climate Action Plan has a target of 10% by 2030.
The aim is to reach this target by supporting farmers to convert to organic farming through the Organic Farming Scheme, enhanced advisory support and increased promotion as well as developing market demand.
The Organic Farming Scheme is an agri-environment measure under the department's CAP Strategic Plan which is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the EU. For more information, visit www.gov.ie/cap.
Bord Bia have commenced the largest ever national campaign for Irish organics which runs until 17 December, with a second burst in spring 2024. The delivery of this Bord Bia campaign was made possible by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine gaining approval for the allocation of €1.5 million in BAR funding to Bord Bia for the promotion of organics.
In July, Minister Hackett announced a public call by her department for innovative proposals to promote the multi-functional benefits of organic farming in Ireland. The list of successful Applicants is set out below:
| Company | Application |
| ACA Tipperary | This project will support and expand the ability of private agricultural advisors to provide relevant advice to organic farmers. |
| National Organic Training Skillnet | The establishment of an Organic & Biological Living Lab Programme to bring together farmers and researchers to facilitate research and co-ordinate knowledge sharing. The core aspect of the programme is the establishment of Living Labs on organic farms identified within the NOTS network. |
| National Organic Training Skillnet | The creation of a substantive library of instructional videos covering all aspects of conversion to organic farming. Aligning with the Organic Farming Principles course, these videos will provide insights into the individual sectors of organic agriculture as well as broad topics with regard to helping farmers transition to organic practices. |
| National Organic Training Skillnet | This project provides for the purchase of trial equipment to be used in practical organic training programmes for small-scale dairy production. Essential training equipment is currently unavailable in Ireland for key areas such as cheesemaking, yoghurt production, butter production, and ice cream production. This project aims to rectify this situation by creating a dedicated small-scale dairy processing training unit. |
| Irish Organic Association | The campaign will showcase all relevant sectors including, beef, sheep, dairy, cereals and pulses, horticulture, poultry/eggs and aquaculture. The campaign will be driven by experiential and immersive films and other high-quality visual content that is evidence-based. It will seek to capture what Irish organic operators can deliver, from high-quality produce, increasing environmental protection to enhancing animal welfare, whilst complying with EU marketing standards and relevant EU legislation. A social media campaign and engagement strategy will be created and implemented for Meta platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), TikTok and Youtube, with insights and analytic reporting conducted to measure the awareness of the ‘This is Irish Organic […]’ campaign amongst Irish consumers. |
| Irish Organic Milk Producers Ltd Waterford | A pilot project will investigate the use of Organic Milk to make both Organic Butter and Organic Skimmed Milk Powder. There will be many new Organic Milk producers in the next 2/3 years entering the industry and a solution is needed to utilise their milk into saleable products for the domestic and export markets. |
| Organic Growers of Ireland | The OGI’s mission is to represent, support, grow and educate the growers that contribute to the Irish organic horticultural sector. This is achieved through the delivery of the Organic growers internship and Future growers conference each year alongside the development of the member network that offers farm walks, focus sessions and networking opportunities to organic growers throughout Ireland. This project will continue and expand the work of the OGI. |
| Dr. Jack Fahey | This study aims to investigate the potential benefits of employing living mulches in organic tillage practices. By comparing the growth, weed suppression, soil health, and crop yield of living mulch systems to traditional methods, we seek to determine the viability and sustainability of integrating living mulches into organic farming systems in Ireland. |
| Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Op Society Ltd | This project will develop a business plan examining the possibilities for a newly formed, farmer owned organic dairy co-op in Ireland. This work will include an examination of processing opportunities and feasibility assessment of same, a look at strategic partnership options for the co-op and also an assessment of how the co-op could use its leverage to improve farmer incomes and make conversion to organic dairy a more attractive prospect. |
| Limerick Community Grocery CLG aka The Urban Co-Op | Market research on school-based procurement options with creation of relatable visual promotional materials and a range of ready to eat organic meals to test the market. |
| Irish Agroforestry Forum | The "Cultivating Agricultural Resilience through Organic Farming with Trees" project is a comprehensive initiative promoting organic farming practices and resilience in agriculture. It aims to raise awareness about sustainable practices, healthy food, and the environment and includes farmer-led trials, farm walk tours, and farmer meet-ups showcasing the benefits of trees for organic farming. An 'Organic Farming with Trees' educational programme for farmers and schools with instructional materials and videos. The project also offers a "Farm Fresh to School Organic Vegetables" schools pilot programme, highlighting organic produce. |
| Organic Trust | To organize, promote and run a National Organic Food Fair. The Organic Food fair will include: • Collaborating with organic food traders, producers and retailers to showcase the array of Organic produce on offer in this country amid a festival atmosphere and a great day out for the family. • Selected producers and industry leaders will give practical seminars, with tastings; discussion on what their products route to market was like; Discussing why organic food is important to the Irish consumer; How to eatorganically and within budget, and on how to grow your own organics. • Celebrity chef demonstrations. 4 to 5 Irish celebrity chefs providing cooking demonstrations throughout the day as well as an “Organic cook off” in the main tent where the 4 chefs will be pitted against each other to create the best organic dish using only locally produced organic ingredients. |