Ireland to home-grow organic foods

Ireland’s Green Party has announced that it is hoping to increase organic food production in the country 500% by 2012.

Trevor Sargent, the minister of state responsible for food and horticulture, said in a speech at the Green Party conference that a government announcement detailing a strategy for organic food production is immanent.

Europe is the biggest market for organic food in the world, and demand for organic food in Ireland is growing.

€66 million of organic food was sold in Ireland during 2006. This is expected to rise to €400 million by 2010.

However, at the moment 70% of this organic food is imported.

Sargent believes that moving production to Ireland will create more local jobs whilst meaning that less energy is used in distribution and transport.