A news and analysis blog about rural Ireland, politics, rural development, Irish politics, agriculture, environment, and other related topics
Few issues in recent years have been as contentious in rural Ireland as government forestry policy. Depending on who you ask aforestation has created ecologically harmful monocultures, pushed people out … Continue Reading The Forestry Appeals bill and rural Irelands Fute
For the majority organic and local food is linked with the idea of a farmers market, and a limited niche market with a limited customer base. Far from the serious … Continue Reading Irelands emerging alternative food systems
Covid 19 has created an unprecedented challenge as countries struggle to tackle the crisis. In Ireland as well as putting immense pressure on our already stretched health service the crisis … Continue Reading Covid 19 & Irish agriculture
Increased environmental consciousness and concerns with pollution caused by industrial agriculture has become more widespread in recent years, movements opposing animal agriculture have used this increased awareness to attempt to … Continue Reading Animal rights activists threaten Irish farms
The revelations that the EU and Irish government plan on making the 100 million euro beef fund conditional to a number of measures including possible reductions in production or restructuring … Continue Reading Beef fund is bad for farmers and the planet
Tuesdays budget will contain cuts to both USC and income tax, measures which will of course play to Fine Gaels key support base, however the government’s plan of a balanced … Continue Reading Budget 2019 and rural Ireland
The latest figures released by the government show that over 10 percent of the land in Ireland is under forestry. Over half of the forested area is devoted to conifer … Continue Reading Ireland’s forestry problem
Vulture funds who have bought up large amounts of distressed loans are targeting Irish mortgages particularly farmers who borrowed to buy land during the Celtic Tiger with the … Continue Reading Vultures target Irish farms
Irish farming enjoys a reputation for pasture based, grass fed livestock systems. The marketing power of this image is something Irish food producers and retailers are acutely aware of. Meat … Continue Reading Factory Farms on the increase in Ireland
by Breandán Ó Conchúir The recent occupation of the department of agriculture by the IFA is an interesting example of the power dynamics that shape the states responses to protests … Continue Reading Protest Power and the IFA
The Governments recent announcement of a 60 million euro plan for rural Ireland has been cautiously welcomed by rural interest groups. The current political turmoil and the extent of the … Continue Reading Rural Ireland for sale
In recent years farmers across Europe have felt the pressure of reduced farm gate prices paid by supermarkets.There has been various national responses to this such as … Continue Reading The European response to supermarket prices
In the second half of our two part examination of Rural Ireland’s relationship with nature we look at how the future of rural communities depends on our ability to work with … Continue Reading rural Ireland: a future with nature?
In the first of a two part series examining rural Irelands relation with the environment we look at the relationship between rural communities and the environment and the various ways … Continue Reading Rural Irelands problem with nature
The 2015 National field vegetable census will reveal the extent of the contraction in Irish horticulture, with an expected decline of up to 50% in the number of commercial growers … Continue Reading the end of Irish veg?
