Thread by @climatecaseire

1/ Thread on climate & Irish agri lobbyists

As the Joint Committee on Climate begins its vital work, we need to talk about the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and the Farmers Journal.

Other than membership, where do you think the IFA gets its €€€ in the millions?

2/ From the “European Involvement Fund” levy. What’s that, an EU tax? No, despite the name. Irish farmers pay this ‘levy’ on an *opt-out* basis on the sale of livestock, milk & other produce @ €1.50 for every €1,000 sold. Goes mostly to the IFA but also to @icmsa & others.

3/ The levy generated a whopping €4.16m for the IFA in 2016 (1/3 to 1/2 of its income). Is it any wonder they treat the senior lads so well, says you.

4/ So this ‘levy’ generates millions for Ireland’s agri-lobbyists, allowing the IFA to maintain a Brussels office and making the IFA & ICMSA the 2nd & 3rd most active business lobbyists in Ireland: fora.ie/business-lobby…

5/ The most active business lobbyist of all? @ibec_irl, two of whose trade associations are “Meat Industry Ireland” and “Dairy Industry Ireland”. That’s right: all three of the most active business lobbies in Ireland have a focus on meat and dairy.

6/ The massive levy income raised on beef & dairy gives the IFA a financial incentive to promote beef & dairy expansion and a disincentive to support any fundamental changes to Ireland’s agri model, regardless the public interest.

7/ But surely our independent farming media will hold them to account, you cry. Who, the Farmers Journal?🙄

You see, the Farmers Journal is owned by something called the Agricultural Trust. And the IFA is heavily involved in the Board of the Trust.

8/ Don’t take our word for it. Have a look at the Agricultural Trust’s constitution (scroll down page for PDF): benefacts.ie/org/9f4e9e6a-6….

The IFA’s sitting president is always a director of the Trust.

9/ So we have an agri model wedded to beef & dairy expansion, agri lobbyists who have a financial interest in this & a major farming publication that cheerleads rather than Qs in the public interest.

At least some journalists & NGOs are doing their job irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/v…

10/ In fact, it’s much worse than this, because the Farmers Journal has a history of climate change obfuscation & denial: villagemagazine.ie/index.php/2017…. E.g. See this recent article by Matt Dempsey, editor of the Farmers Journal for 25 yrs & now chair of the Agricultural Trust.

11/ That article was worrying indeed, inspired as it was by a talk at the inaugural meeting of a secretive new climate change sceptics’/deniers’ group oddly named the Irish Climate Science Forum: desmog.co.uk/2017/05/05/new…. Equally worrying were the reported attendees (pic).

12/ The power of Ireland’s agri-lobbyists is clear.

E.g. Recently they led the government to

~ support the ‘dangerous’ agri-expansion plan Food Wise 2025 irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/v… and

~ adopt the wildlife-vandalism that is the ‘Heritage Act 2018’ irishtimes.com/news/environme…

13/ But the big agri-lobbyists are not representative of all farmers or the public interest: independent.ie/business/farmi…

And Ireland is changing fast, as the work of the Citizens’ Assembly has shown very clearly. @CitizAssembly

14/ The Joint Committee on Climate will now begin its deliberations regarding the @CitizAssembly’s landmark climate report, which revealed almost unanimous support for the highest level of climate ambition.

citizensassembly.ie/en/How-the-Sta…

15/ As this crucial work unfolds, know that well-oiled lobbying machinery will be operating at full tilt in the background, seeking to stifle & lower ambitions.

But the lives of millions and the future of our country are at stake: apps.who.int/iris/bitstream…

16/ So please get involved with the work of the Joint Committee on Climate over the coming months. Speak up and speak out on climate action, for all our sakes and for future generations!

And please support our case as it reaches its hearing in Jan 2019! climatecaseireland.ie