IFA Chairwoman's concern over vegan promotions

The promotion of a vegan diet to children in schools was criticised by the the North Tipperary Chairwoman of the Irish Farmers Association, Imelda Walsh, at the AGM of the association held in Nenagh on Tuesday last week.
In her annual address to members at the meeting in the Abbey Court Hotel, Ms Walsh - who was returned as Chairwoman for the third successive year - accused An Taisce of promoting a message to children in schools that they should eat less meat.
"One has to ask the question in relation to this body with no nutritional expertise why they were allowed to get away with this," said Ms Walsh.
She also criticised RTE who "decided they too were experts in this field", and who had presented a one-sided debate on "promoting eating less dairy and meat".
"I have no problem with anyone who adopts a vegan diet, but I have serious concerns in relation to false and misleading information being targeted in particular at our young people," said Ms Walsh.
She said it was high time that the Go Vegan movement was obliged to inform the public as to who was funding its campaign. "As farmers we cannot or will not allow ourselves to be portrayed as the villain in the debate when we produce a gold standard food product in an environmentally sustainable way," said Ms Walsh, calling for balance to be brought to the debate.
An Taisce has already gone on the public record in relation to criticism by the IFA of its "Green schools" guide, which includes a recommendation that children reduce their meat and dairy consumption. John Gibbons, its Climate Chainge spokesman, said "the suggestion that balancing our diet to a more healthy level with vegetarian foods represents some existential threat to farming is nonsensical - its a hystrical reaction."
Turning to other issues, Ms Walsh also referred to Brexit, saying it was the most serious threat to Ireland's agri-food sector in the history of the State. "With €4.5 billion of our food and drinks exports into the UK market, no other member state or sector is as exposed," she said.
Ireland had to ensure that there was no lowering of standards by the UK, and no unfair economic competition. 
It was imperative that the close trading relationship between the two countries continued, and that a level playing field in terms of trade was maintained, while ensuring there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland.
Referring to the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy, Ms Walsh said Ireland would have to fight for an increased budget for the farming sector. "Farmers cannot be expected to do more for less money...CAP will have to ensure that family farms remain viable," she said.
On the environment and climate action, Ms Walsh said farmers had engaged positively in the whole debate on these issues and responded by creating more efficiencies on their holdings. The agri-sector could not be scapegoated on these two issues. Farmes had been calling for a programme of supports for farm and community based renewable schemes, at a time when the Government was willing to pay massive fines for not meeting its targets in relation to emissions, and doing very little to grow the renewble sector.
On the beef sector, Ms Walsh said farmer protests outside meat factories in 2019 were "borne out of frustration by farming families fighting for survival."
She said: "Our meat factories will have to stop using farmers as slaves to keep their plants running and their bank balances fattening at our expense. It is time the factories and retailers were held to account and a fair share of an animal's value was returned to the primary producer."
Ms Walsh also called for more financial support for other sectors. 
The fact that young people were not interested in sheep farming was due in now small part to low incomes. The rising costs of inputs and unfair prices was making it more difficult for tillage farmers to survive. 
Co-ops would have to ensure that dairy farmers get a fair return from the marketplace. Dairy farmers could not be expected to pick up the full costs of extra facilities built by co-ops to manage the extra volumes of milk farmers were producing as they themselves had their own personal expansion costs to shoulder.