To: The Irish Government & The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Support a Basic Income for Local Food Farmers
We want everyone in Ireland to have access to high quality, locally produced food. We also want farmers to earn a fair living from providing that food into their communities.
We propose a Basic Income for Local Food Farmers as a straightforward, fair and implementable income support mechanism towards this goal.
We propose a Basic Income for Local Food Farmers as a straightforward, fair and implementable income support mechanism towards this goal.
Why is this important?
What are we asking for?
1. Formal recognition of Local Food Farmers in Irish agricultural policy
2. A Basic Income of €350 a week for Local Food Farmers who meet the criteria, at a net cost of about €8.3m, roughly 0.4% of the Department of Agriculture's current annual expenditure.
What does our current food system look like?
Ireland has a highly productive agricultural sector, but our current food system is heavily shaped by export markets:
1. Formal recognition of Local Food Farmers in Irish agricultural policy
2. A Basic Income of €350 a week for Local Food Farmers who meet the criteria, at a net cost of about €8.3m, roughly 0.4% of the Department of Agriculture's current annual expenditure.
What does our current food system look like?
Ireland has a highly productive agricultural sector, but our current food system is heavily shaped by export markets:
- We import as much as 83% of our fruit and vegetables
- We produce around 7x more beef than we consume yet, import over 40,000t of beef each year
- 90% of Irish dairy production is exported
- >50% of the average diet in Ireland is ultra-processed
Our current model disconnects what we produce from what we eat, and shifts value away from farmers and local economies.
Why invest in Local Food Farms?
Local Food Farms generate multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. Increasing domestic food production reduces reliance on imports, strengthens resilience to supply-chain disruption and keeps more value circulating locally. There is significant potential to grow this sector while reconnecting land, people and communities.
Why a Basic Income?
If we want thriving local food systems, we need to guarantee a fair income for Local Food Farmers, but many Local Food Farms are overlooked by the current subsidy system. As voiced by farmers in our research, a Basic Income for Local Food Farmers would:
Local Food Farms generate multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. Increasing domestic food production reduces reliance on imports, strengthens resilience to supply-chain disruption and keeps more value circulating locally. There is significant potential to grow this sector while reconnecting land, people and communities.
Why a Basic Income?
If we want thriving local food systems, we need to guarantee a fair income for Local Food Farmers, but many Local Food Farms are overlooked by the current subsidy system. As voiced by farmers in our research, a Basic Income for Local Food Farmers would:
- Provide income stability
- Enable long-term planning and investment
- Increase production and market reach
- Drive on-farm innovation
- Facilitate agroecological land stewardship
- Improve farmers’ overall wellbeing
- Support essential caregiving responsibilities
- Create opportunities for on-farm educational programmes & community engagement
What is a Local Food Farm?
Talamh Beo have developed robust criteria to assess the eligibility of candidates for this Basic Income proposal. A summary is as follows:
- Primary food production - the farm is actively engaged in the rearing or growing of primary food products
- Local market oriented - at least 70% of food produced is sold via Short Food Supply Chains
- Agroecological production - prioritising biodiversity and the long-term health of soils and ecosystems, through Organic Certification or in-conversion status
- Commercial activity - able to demonstrate a minimum annual production value of €8,000
How it will be delivered
Please get behind this movement and help give deserved recognition and support to our Local Food Farmers for the values they bring to our communities.
Please sign the petition, join our mailing list and share within your networks.
We will bring this petition along with our full policy proposal to policymakers over the coming months.
Thank you sincerely for your support / raibh míle maith agat as do thacaíocht.