Green Party councillor calls for greater funding for organic farming
Green Party North Down Assembly candidate Councillor Anthony Flynn has called on DAERA to introduce dedicated financial support for organic farmers in Northern Ireland.
The call follows a meeting of organic farmers at Helen’s Bay Organic on Saturday, where concerns were raised about the lack of government support for the sector.
Councillor Flynn said: “Organic farmers are producing high-quality local food, protecting biodiversity and helping tackle the climate crisis, yet they’re being left behind when it comes to financial support.
“Just 0.6% of agricultural land in Northern Ireland is organic, compared with over 3% in the rest of the UK. That should be a wake-up call for DAERA.
“We cannot expect farmers to deliver environmental benefits without properly supporting them to do so.
“DAERA needs to introduce dedicated funding for organic farming, support farmers who want to convert and invest in growing local markets.
“If we’re serious about sustainable agriculture and food security, we need to start backing the farmers who are already delivering it.”
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