John Gibbons: Ireland must plan ahead now to secure full food independence

There is little evidence of strategic thinking on how we would feed ourselves if we were largely cut off from international markets

In previous times of crisis and shortage during the two world wars, Irish tillage production increased sharply, as the focus was on feeding our population. Picture: Getty

The government has officially revealed its carbon budgets for the next decade, and the sectoral scramble for special treatment has got under way in earnest.

On RTÉ’s Prime Time last week, Charlie McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, attempted to defend a situation whereby the emissions trajectory of the livestock agriculture sector is now in direct conflict with government policy. His pitch was that “efficiencies”, or new technologies, were going to somehow reduce spiralling methane emissions ...