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<h3>Introduction&nbsp;</h3><p>At first glance, conflict in the Middle East can feel far removed from everyday life on an Irish farm. But when tensions rise in one of the world’s most important energy regions, the effects can travel quickly, often showing up first in the price of fuel.</p><p>The recent escalation involving Iran has already caused movement in global oil markets. According to reporting from RTÉ, the wholesale price of oil rose from $72 per barrel to above $91 within a week of the conflict beginning. At the start of the year, oil had been trading at just over $60 per barrel, and it was around $70 last month before tensions escalated. Currently, projections estimate it could reach $150-200.</p><p>Those shifts might seem like numbers on a trading screen, but they tend to reach farm businesses much faster than people realise.</p><figure id="figure-g24etu22ymmmir54a" class=""><img id="g24etu22ymmmir54a" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bBVCLNXvWgaVkQk4ssE2XnDIV3wm6qURAtQZrjn6JrRkbOmd5KCrU2R8jx6Ol7IL.jpeg" alt="Ireland on world map with flag" title="Ireland on world map with flag" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bBVCLNXvWgaVkQk4ssE2XnDIV3wm6qURAtQZrjn6JrRkbOmd5KCrU2R8jx6Ol7IL.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Fuel prices are already moving<br></h3><p>One of the clearest signs of the impact has been at the pump.</p><p>RTÉ reports that the average price of diesel in Ireland last month was €1.72 per litre, while petrol averaged €1.73 per litre. Since the conflict began, some filling stations have been charging around €1.90 per litre for diesel and €1.80 for petrol.</p><p>For farmers, diesel isn’t just another cost, it’s what powers much of the daily work on the farm. From tractors and loaders to generators and transport vehicles, diesel is the fuel that keeps machinery running.</p><p>And the impact goes beyond the farmyard. The same fuel powers the trucks that move milk to processing plants, transport cattle to factories and deliver food to supermarkets. When diesel prices rise, the cost of moving food from farms to shops rises as well.</p><figure id="figure-7mphqw4z4mmmixro4"><img id="7mphqw4z4mmmixro4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2d6Y7XNPX2gShedJlADaiJ6T8CZSXCaOOS4Dkdb5MUYx85LzVNaTRSnolMZ5mYaT.jpeg" alt="Crude oil prices go up. Crude oil barrels on a white background with world map. Strait of Hormuz blockade. Iran war with Israel and US. Tanker and other ships navigation and security problem" title="Crude oil prices go up. Crude oil barrels on a white background with world map. Strait of Hormuz blockade. Iran war with Israel and US. Tanker and other ships navigation and security problem" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2d6Y7XNPX2gShedJlADaiJ6T8CZSXCaOOS4Dkdb5MUYx85LzVNaTRSnolMZ5mYaT.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why oil markets react so quickly</h3><p>The reason this particular conflict has shaken energy markets lies in geography.</p><p>Iran sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important shipping routes in the global energy system. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that about 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait each day, which is equivalent to around 20% of global petroleum consumption.</p><p>Even the possibility that shipping through this route could be disrupted is enough to send markets higher. Insurance costs for tankers rise, traders factor in supply risks and prices respond quickly.</p><p>Because oil is traded globally, those movements are felt far beyond the Middle East.</p><figure id="figure-fmxc9boxatmmmivu4h" class=""><img id="fmxc9boxatmmmivu4h" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21mJYIzMToqE4blQiObAaVGS7WG5xko6OdACNoHoWXjHgjRZqZsm9RmZrKbyvdjw.jpeg" alt="senior man preparing to fill up the LPG tanks in his motor home" title="senior man preparing to fill up the LPG tanks in his motor home" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21mJYIzMToqE4blQiObAaVGS7WG5xko6OdACNoHoWXjHgjRZqZsm9RmZrKbyvdjw.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Ireland’s exposure to global energy markets<br></h3><p>Ireland is particularly sensitive to these kinds of shocks because it relies heavily on imported energy.</p><p>According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Ireland imported 79.7% of its energy needs in 2024, including all of its oil supplies.</p><p>That means the price paid for diesel and petrol in Ireland is largely determined by global markets. When international oil prices rise, Irish fuel prices usually follow.</p><p>For farming, that link is especially important. Agriculture relies on fuel not only for machinery but for the entire supply chain that connects farms to processors and retailers.</p><figure id="figure-brphfcebqfmmmizn7n" class=""><img id="brphfcebqfmmmizn7n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/31OKooWdFAHMS26NevqUhNmkVe5VoPAqj3hDzck39kTxInx66BSLgNkFy2s3C8Cn.png" alt="World Map with Ireland Flag Overlay" title="World Map with Ireland Flag Overlay" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/31OKooWdFAHMS26NevqUhNmkVe5VoPAqj3hDzck39kTxInx66BSLgNkFy2s3C8Cn.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Fertiliser and energy markets are closely linked<br></h3><p>Oil prices are only one part of the story, energy markets also play a major role in fertiliser production.</p><p>Nitrogen fertilisers are produced using ammonia, and natural gas is a key input in that process. The European Commission estimates that natural gas can account for roughly 70% to 85% of the cost of producing ammonia.</p><p>When energy prices rise, fertiliser production becomes more expensive. In some cases, factories may even reduce output if gas prices make production uneconomic.</p><p>For Irish farmers, fertiliser prices have been a major concern over recent years, so any further pressure on energy markets is being watched closely.</p><figure id="figure-trcfzgbidimmmj5g8b" class=""><img id="trcfzgbidimmmj5g8b" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24b93KlZ9zJ2gVIMmdC40e53caxXsSgyJlwf9xPjP81nzvHM0GmCgYYNQN7C5YYB.jpeg" alt="Oil Barrels Textured With Iranian Flag On White Background" title="Oil Barrels Textured With Iranian Flag On White Background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24b93KlZ9zJ2gVIMmdC40e53caxXsSgyJlwf9xPjP81nzvHM0GmCgYYNQN7C5YYB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What the fertiliser market looks like right now<br></h3><p>There is some reassurance in the short term. The Irish Farmers’ Association says there are sufficient fertiliser stocks already in merchants’ yards to cover first applications to grassland, tillage crops, grazing and first-cut silage.</p><p>Importantly, those supplies were purchased before the current conflict and recent energy price increases.</p><p>Current market prices reported by the IFA include:</p><ul><li>€395–€415 per tonne for CAN.</li><li>€405–€425 per tonne for CAN with sulphur.</li><li>€550–€580 per tonne for protected urea.</li><li>Compound fertilisers are also trading within established ranges, meaning the first round of applications this spring should not be immediately affected by the geopolitical situation.</li></ul><figure id="figure-xa49qqlfcommmj6wmg" class=""><img id="xa49qqlfcommmj6wmg" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/5N8lj9t0DUVA4BBsZu59sVbCEjqYXZjTuvTqesGBKHY3ePeKsQ6aLYYkinqKjGJ3.jpeg" alt="Rise in gasoline prices concept with double exposure of digital screen with financial chart graphs and oil pumps on a field." title="Rise in gasoline prices concept with double exposure of digital screen with financial chart graphs and oil pumps on a field." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/5N8lj9t0DUVA4BBsZu59sVbCEjqYXZjTuvTqesGBKHY3ePeKsQ6aLYYkinqKjGJ3.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why farmers are watching the situation closely<br></h3><p>For now, much depends on how events develop in the coming weeks and months.</p><p>If oil supplies continue to move freely through key shipping routes, markets may settle again. But if the conflict begins to affect production or shipping in the region, energy prices could remain volatile.</p><p>Farmers will be watching several indicators closely:</p><ul><li>Diesel price movements.</li><li>Fertiliser market trends.</li><li>Transport costs across the food supply chain.</li><li>Broader inflation in farm inputs</li></ul><p><br>Because when fuel prices rise, the impact rarely stops at the fuel tank.</p><figure id="figure-8gzeai1y7rmmmj8swt" class=""><img id="8gzeai1y7rmmmj8swt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/eh5oMjaFkq18CxTKcMzDRNwLYQMprJhC5jLSWG7tSsrTnc3UFEHODVrQKmGdFknU.png" alt="Oil Prices Moving Down Concept with US Dollar Stack Barrels and a Red Arrow" title="Oil Prices Moving Down Concept with US Dollar Stack Barrels and a Red Arrow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/eh5oMjaFkq18CxTKcMzDRNwLYQMprJhC5jLSWG7tSsrTnc3UFEHODVrQKmGdFknU.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Conclusion<br></h3><p>Irish farming has always been influenced by factors well beyond the farm gate, from weather patterns to international markets.</p><p>Events in the Middle East may seem distant, but energy markets connect those events directly to everyday life on farms across Ireland. When oil prices move from $72 to above $91 per barrel within a week, the effects can ripple quickly through fuel prices, transport costs and fertiliser markets.</p><p>And because Ireland imports 79.7% of its energy, those global movements are felt particularly strongly here.</p><p>For farmers, the coming months will reveal whether this latest energy shock is a short-term spike, or another reminder of how closely agriculture is tied to global events.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Impact of Iran Conflict and Oil Prices on Irish Agriculture

A flooded agricultural field due to heavy rainfall

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Anyone farming in Ireland this winter will already know the story. The fields have been slow to dry, machinery access has been limited in places, and every dry day has felt like an opportunity not to be wasted. While that’s nothing new for Irish agriculture, the past few months have been another reminder of just how closely farm decisions follow the weather.</p><p>Recent figures from Met Éireann put some numbers on what many farmers have already experienced. Ireland recorded a national mean temperature of 6.58°C between December and February, making it a relatively mild winter overall. At the same time, frequent rainfall and unsettled weather patterns have left many soils saturated across the country.</p><p>For farmers preparing for the spring season, the challenge now isn’t just temperature, it’s ground conditions.</p><figure id="figure-38d2em6rammmchlw7i" class=""><img id="38d2em6rammmchlw7i" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eQpdwg94zvUeHwnasyUuUZUsAkldmz7fjgAnWEifkRMek2d4VVU3n0dtiTxhOwG.jpeg" alt="Water logged field on a farm" title="Water logged field on a farm" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eQpdwg94zvUeHwnasyUuUZUsAkldmz7fjgAnWEifkRMek2d4VVU3n0dtiTxhOwG.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Saturated soils and slow progress in the fields</h3><p>According to Met Éireann’s latest farming commentary, many soils across the country are currently saturated, with poorly drained soils waterlogged. That kind of situation is fairly typical towards the end of winter, but when it lingers it can delay early spring activity.</p><p>When soils are holding that much moisture, everyday farm jobs become harder to manage. Machinery access becomes restricted, livestock turnout has to be carefully considered, and the risk of damaging soil structure increases if fields are used too early.</p><p>Even when a few dry days appear, improvement can be slow. On heavier soils in particular, it can take time for land to recover enough to safely carry machinery or grazing animals again.</p><figure id="figure-mpyo2vxm9mmchn73x" class=""><img id="mpyo2vxm9mmchn73x" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2cBT6VD1iuIpviMWMnZACWyZkuWu7w9OEcoFscq1moPCtApl5a2vFiWDyeKl9w8g.jpeg" alt="Lambs Feeding" title="Lambs Feeding" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2cBT6VD1iuIpviMWMnZACWyZkuWu7w9OEcoFscq1moPCtApl5a2vFiWDyeKl9w8g.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Rainfall has varied widely across the country<br></h3><p>One of the things that often surprises people outside farming is how different conditions can be from one part of the country to another.</p><p>Over the past week, rainfall totals ranged from 53% of the weekly average in parts of the north to as much as 166% of average in some southern and south-eastern areas. That kind of variation means that while some farms may begin to see conditions improve, others may still be dealing with saturated ground.</p><p>Temperatures during the same period have remained relatively mild. Mean air temperatures ranged from 6.7°C to 8.7°C, which is 0.6°C to 1.9°C above the long-term average for this time of year.</p><p>Mild weather might normally be welcome at this stage of the season, but without enough dry weather to balance it out, ground conditions remain the main limiting factor.&nbsp;</p><figure id="figure-05y61qtrksmmchodd7" class=""><img id="05y61qtrksmmchodd7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27Z6CTyZ9IARPCpGpmvv6lmiDf6n9UOXU9n48eqOedZ9UOOO9OaksLv55iLYIqqg.jpeg" alt="Wild grasses along the coast" title="Wild grasses along the coast" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27Z6CTyZ9IARPCpGpmvv6lmiDf6n9UOXU9n48eqOedZ9UOOO9OaksLv55iLYIqqg.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Warmer soils could support early grass growth</h3><p>One positive sign for the season ahead is soil temperature. Measurements across the country show mean soil temperatures between 7.5°C and 9.2°C, which is 2.1°C to 4.2°C above the seasonal average.</p><p>For grass-based systems like those used across much of Ireland, soil temperature plays a major role in early grass growth. Once soil temperatures rise above around 6°C, grass can begin to grow again after winter dormancy.</p><p>In theory, that means conditions are favourable for early grass production. In practice, however, saturated soils may prevent livestock from accessing fields until ground conditions improve.</p><figure id="figure-x4ceuxrcvqmmcht05u" class=""><img id="x4ceuxrcvqmmcht05u" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cMLmJDTHvU22v5l52CkKG2GN8ToHJWxpMQOb2u9m744qsky2RPVCU3TbNQrNq6ln.jpeg" alt="soil surface with a focus line for product presentation" title="soil surface with a focus line for product presentation" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cMLmJDTHvU22v5l52CkKG2GN8ToHJWxpMQOb2u9m744qsky2RPVCU3TbNQrNq6ln.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Waiting for the dry windows<br></h3><p>Anyone who farms in Ireland knows that the weather rarely settles into a long dry spell at this time of year. Instead, it tends to arrive in short windows between Atlantic weather systems.</p><p>Met Éireann’s outlook suggests that drying conditions are expected to remain generally poor in the short term, although there may be some improvement later in the week if rainfall eases for a period.</p><p>Those brief dry spells often become the most important days of the season. They provide the opportunity to move livestock, apply slurry or fertiliser, and begin the gradual shift from winter housing back to grass.</p><p>Timing those decisions carefully can make a big difference to how well fields recover after a wet winter.</p><figure id="figure-jl3bctiijmmchtriz" class=""><img id="jl3bctiijmmchtriz" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" alt="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" title="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The balance farmers face each spring<br></h3><p>The coming weeks are always a balancing act on Irish farms. Temperatures may suggest that grass is ready to grow, but ground conditions often decide when activity can actually begin.</p><p>Where soils remain wet, turnout may need to be limited to the driest paddocks first. Machinery work may also have to wait until fields can carry equipment without risking compaction.</p><p>These decisions are part of the rhythm of farming in Ireland. Every year brings its own variation of the same challenge: working with the weather rather than against it.</p><figure id="figure-t799f9757mmchuzf3" class=""><img id="t799f9757mmchuzf3" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aScgLoVzSGHymdgW8zeWEP2WKvTsaiZhqji9H9O21AfFXFDkLOBi0YVOIhpTjOZ.jpeg" alt="Lush green forest and fields on the hills and valley of Glenariff Forest Park" title="Lush green forest and fields on the hills and valley of Glenariff Forest Park" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aScgLoVzSGHymdgW8zeWEP2WKvTsaiZhqji9H9O21AfFXFDkLOBi0YVOIhpTjOZ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In many ways, this winter simply reinforces what farmers already understand. Irish agriculture operates in a climate where conditions can shift quickly, and where rainfall often dictates the pace of work.</p><p>A mild winter, like the one recorded this year with a national mean temperature of 6.58°C, may help encourage early growth. But when that warmth comes alongside persistent rain, the benefits can take longer to show on the ground.</p><p>For now, many farmers will simply be watching the forecast and waiting for those few dry days that make all the difference because in Irish farming, the weather rarely waits, and neither can the work that depends on it.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

A Wet Winter in Ireland: What It Means for Farming as Spring Approaches

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>For a long time, the European beef debate revolved around markets: where the product was going, who we were competing with, and what trade deals might open or close doors.</p><p>What’s happening now is more fundamental. The issue is no longer whether there are customers, it’s whether there are enough cattle.</p><p>The most recent trade figures make that very clear. EU beef exports for the first ten months of 2025 fell by almost 16%, dropping from 992,000 tonnes in 2024 to just over 704,000 tonnes in the same period last year. At the same time, imports moved sharply the other way, rising by 18.3%.</p><p>That’s not a blip. It’s a supply signal.</p><figure id="figure-bq5zagauwsmm7v13np" class=""><img id="bq5zagauwsmm7v13np" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2a3b3uB0A8CPH5JNDo9ixlAQrJFLAh5s5bL9nyLoeSeYIsteOylgmhJs6u1WmJgx.jpeg" alt="Herd Of Cattle On Pasture In Ireland" title="Herd Of Cattle On Pasture In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2a3b3uB0A8CPH5JNDo9ixlAQrJFLAh5s5bL9nyLoeSeYIsteOylgmhJs6u1WmJgx.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The reality behind the factory gate</h3><p>Anyone watching throughput over the past year will already have felt it. The trade data simply confirms what has been obvious on the ground.</p><p>Across the EU, beef production for the first eight months of 2025 dropped by 169,000 tonnes, as cattle slaughter fell by 5%, the equivalent of 804,000 fewer animals coming through the system.</p><p>Ireland is very much part of that story. The national kill in 2025 was down by 213,057 head. In production terms, output for the same period measured at EU level fell by around 6%, or close to 20,000 tonnes.</p><p>That tightening supply is the reason demand for finished stock has stayed so strong and why prices have gone where they have. In October 2025, the EU bullock price hit €7.39/kg, up 43.6% in a year.</p><p>At farm level that has been welcome. At trade level it changes how competitive Europe is.</p><figure id="figure-pmnmus2llbmm7v2e7o" class=""><img id="pmnmus2llbmm7v2e7o" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1x9MkKbaDSMcTEG9aVxOymPYEPImbWxuTSRgzem25qSAjgg0wo5pgtZI9bDAUGpQ.jpeg" alt="Meat counter. Butcher shop fridge counter with assortment of raw meat.. Glass display case in butcher shop filled with fresh meat products. Various cuts of beef, pork, sausages are arranged for buyers" title="Meat counter. Butcher shop fridge counter with assortment of raw meat.. Glass display case in butcher shop filled with fresh meat products. Various cuts of beef, pork, sausages are arranged for buyers" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1x9MkKbaDSMcTEG9aVxOymPYEPImbWxuTSRgzem25qSAjgg0wo5pgtZI9bDAUGpQ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The UK still sets the tone<br></h3><p>For all the talk about diversification, the structure of the export market hasn’t shifted nearly as much as people sometimes assume.</p><p>The UK still takes almost 38% of all EU beef exports. And in a year when overall export volumes fell sharply, shipments to the UK dropped by only about 7%.</p><p>That tells its own story, the UK remains structurally short of beef, and geography still matters.</p><p>For Ireland, that’s central to everything. Our system is built around supplying that market efficiently and consistently. In a Europe where product is becoming scarcer, that proximity is not just an advantage, it’s a strategic asset.</p><figure id="figure-7b9lqm9cismm7v41sj" class=""><img id="7b9lqm9cismm7v41sj" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/35Khi9FtCklyPj06ehidzIQKqK7txd7JgM5NJOMksS4n9vUZbGukbKW8JWINZwRB.jpeg" alt="Man shopping for beef steak in supermarket aisle" title="Man shopping for beef steak in supermarket aisle" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/35Khi9FtCklyPj06ehidzIQKqK7txd7JgM5NJOMksS4n9vUZbGukbKW8JWINZwRB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Imports are filling the space<br></h3><p>The other side of the equation is just as important.</p><p>With less beef being produced inside the EU, more is coming in from outside. Import volumes for the first ten months of 2025 were up by 18.3%, with Brazil and the UK the largest suppliers, followed by Argentina and Uruguay.</p><p>That’s the market adjusting in real time, when internal supply tightens and prices rise, imported product becomes more competitive.</p><p>It also means that the conversation about standards, traceability and production systems is no longer theoretical. Those differences are now sitting side by side on the same market.</p><figure id="figure-poo30gwksmmm7v53t3" class=""><img id="poo30gwksmmm7v53t3" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2dTrNc2uoGG2WI02g4QGe1oPDjJ2c2WrWZZobNUN9PrhK2F8uec71yJI3HNLoZZU.jpeg" alt="A group of worker in meat factory, chopped a fresh beef meat in pieces on metal work table, industry of processing food." title="A group of worker in meat factory, chopped a fresh beef meat in pieces on metal work table, industry of processing food." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2dTrNc2uoGG2WI02g4QGe1oPDjJ2c2WrWZZobNUN9PrhK2F8uec71yJI3HNLoZZU.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Less volume — more value<br></h3><p>One of the more telling developments from an Irish perspective is what has happened to export value.</p><p>Even with volumes down by about 5% to roughly 474,000 tonnes, the value of primary beef exports increased by 24% to €3.4 billion.</p><p>In other words, fewer cattle, but each one worth more.</p><p>That’s a very different model from the one the sector operated under for decades. And it puts much more focus on consistency, specification and market alignment than on raw output.</p><figure id="figure-3hlxhgb10qmm7v68f2" class=""><img id="3hlxhgb10qmm7v68f2" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2fgy381wTLOW950TomNUCnv201gsyhIbOs0XC7WKZRaWjThOCEAjCk7E0DDkPbwY.jpeg" alt="Butchers processing hanging beef carcasses in meat processing plant" title="Butchers processing hanging beef carcasses in meat processing plant" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2fgy381wTLOW950TomNUCnv201gsyhIbOs0XC7WKZRaWjThOCEAjCk7E0DDkPbwY.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A different kind of competition<br></h3><p>While Europe is working through a contraction in supply, other exporting countries are expanding. That contrast matters.</p><p>This is not a situation where global demand has weakened, it hasn’t. It’s a situation where Europe has less product to sell and is, in some cases, pricing itself out of certain markets.</p><p>So the challenge is no longer about finding customers. It’s about deciding where our product fits best and making sure it matches those markets.</p><figure id="figure-0gkk6d732mm7v7h3v" class=""><img id="0gkk6d732mm7v7h3v" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/29vnd6SYUMQIoDdjlPMzDFaHVSD8RIVBx42bJUZeIrgfftu3lQhSxID6BBPJQFN2.jpeg" alt="Irish Cows and a Calf" title="Irish Cows and a Calf" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/29vnd6SYUMQIoDdjlPMzDFaHVSD8RIVBx42bJUZeIrgfftu3lQhSxID6BBPJQFN2.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What this means when you step back from the numbers<br></h3><p>Taken together, the figures point to a structural shift rather than a difficult year.</p><p>We are moving away from a system that was built on volume and into one where supply is tighter and value matters more. For Ireland, that brings both opportunity and pressure.</p><p>We are still one of the most consistent exporters in Europe. We have a production system that suits retail and foodservice requirements. We have full traceability and a quality assurance structure that is recognised in the market. Those things carry more weight when there is less beef available.</p><p>But the flip side is the question of critical mass. Throughput is falling. The pipeline of cattle is smaller. Generational change, environmental policy and land use are all influencing the size of the national herd.</p><p>So the real strategic question is not about chasing higher output, it’s about protecting the production base we still have and getting the maximum possible value from it.</p><figure id="figure-kny5l1vpzxmm7v8z6m" class=""><img id="kny5l1vpzxmm7v8z6m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eujnkFKyDaf5hU0KFRa0QtABcRDQPmBCOMGsbci0GBAsnN83gX8PisNnP4AggT6.jpeg" alt="head of an Irish cow" title="head of an Irish cow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eujnkFKyDaf5hU0KFRa0QtABcRDQPmBCOMGsbci0GBAsnN83gX8PisNnP4AggT6.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>For a long time the sector worried about oversupply. That is no longer the issue.</p><p>Demand is steady, prices are strong, export value is rising even as volumes fall. The balance in the supply chain has shifted.</p><p>The countries that can supply beef consistently, to the right specification and with the right credentials, will shape the European market over the next decade. Ireland is one of those countries but only if the link between production, policy and market strategy holds. Because in a Europe with fewer cattle, being able to supply the market at all becomes the biggest competitive advantage of all.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Europe Has Less Beef to Sell — and That Changes the Conversation for Ireland

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>When the Government launched its new Circular Economy Strategy for 2026–2028, one figure quietly did most of the talking.</p><p>Ireland’s Circularity Metric currently stands at 2.7%. That means more than 97% of the materials moving through our economy are still coming from virgin sources. Extract, use, discard, repeat.</p><p>For a country that talks regularly about sustainability and resilience, that’s a sobering starting point.</p><figure id="figure-o6f85yelhmm2jzja7" class=""><img id="o6f85yelhmm2jzja7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aee7pLehuf2sbt6SVlGo7Bim9RI9W0VnJlYqp5JhTa6JiMnBe8YcPfW5zC5fadU.jpeg" alt="recycling litter bin" title="recycling litter bin" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aee7pLehuf2sbt6SVlGo7Bim9RI9W0VnJlYqp5JhTa6JiMnBe8YcPfW5zC5fadU.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A Target That Sounds Small — But Isn’t</h3><p>The strategy sets out a clear ambition: increase circularity by two percentage points per year, reaching 12% by 2030.</p><p>At first glance, moving from 2.7% to 12% might not seem dramatic. But in material terms, that shift would represent a significant structural change in how products are designed, how waste is treated, and how businesses operate.</p><p>It isn’t about recycling more bottles. It’s about redesigning the system so materials stay useful for longer.</p><figure id="figure-qu98etwvj8mm2k1l0y" class=""><img id="qu98etwvj8mm2k1l0y" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24u26lhYPuehjdrtejQCPHBGEBGT9bamiu6L3aPkhD548tE0rUysQannSYFGpFRz.jpeg" alt="Sustainable energy" title="Sustainable energy" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24u26lhYPuehjdrtejQCPHBGEBGT9bamiu6L3aPkhD548tE0rUysQannSYFGpFRz.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Construction — The Quiet Giant<br></h3><p>One of the most revealing numbers sits in the construction sector.</p><p>Right now, around 11% of construction and demolition waste is recycled or reused, while approximately 75% is backfilled.</p><p>Backfilling may avoid landfill, but it doesn’t bring materials back into productive use. With housing and infrastructure high on the national agenda, construction is where circular thinking can make a serious dent in material demand.</p><p>It’s also where the opportunity lies, in reclaiming, reprocessing and reusing materials that are currently treated as low-value by-products.</p><figure id="figure-oqfofsrnomm2k3m0n" class=""><img id="oqfofsrnomm2k3m0n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" alt="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" title="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>1.9 Billion Containers — Every Year<br></h3><p>Ireland uses around 1.9 billion single-use drinks containers annually.</p><p>That figure alone explains the push behind deposit return systems and collection targets. Under EU rules, Member States must achieve 90% separate collection of plastic beverage bottles by 2029.</p><p>The scale of the container stream makes it one of the most visible examples of linear consumption in action. Improve that flow, and you shift millions of units back into circulation.</p><figure id="figure-gbr718x0yqmm2k5ro4" class=""><img id="gbr718x0yqmm2k5ro4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/201hKG6cmm4Mbp32CJxreulw7Ut64LGkkzmaj0COHiyqtIRho3BV57shOFAG4rsq.jpeg" alt="Amount of styrofoam containers" title="Amount of styrofoam containers" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/201hKG6cmm4Mbp32CJxreulw7Ut64LGkkzmaj0COHiyqtIRho3BV57shOFAG4rsq.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Packaging — Less by Design<br></h3><p>The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requires reductions of:</p><ul><li>5% by 2030.</li><li>10% by 2035.</li><li>15% by 2040,<br>compared to 2018 levels.</li></ul><p>That means less packaging entering the system in the first place.</p><p>For Irish producers and retailers, this is less about bin management and more about redesign. Thinner materials. Refillable systems. Reusable formats. Fewer layers.</p><p>Packaging waste is not accidental, it is designed in. The regulation is effectively asking for it to be designed out.</p><figure id="figure-i4mw3mubrimm2k780f" class=""><img id="i4mw3mubrimm2k780f" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/23bgBHkIbpgahR1lwNISt9HdZNv3dxcx5IbzHmQCK2E279UxZx6xlray3RrGn7aC.jpeg" alt="Online shopping, Shopping cart box on EU European Union flag, import export, finance commerce." title="Online shopping, Shopping cart box on EU European Union flag, import export, finance commerce." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/23bgBHkIbpgahR1lwNISt9HdZNv3dxcx5IbzHmQCK2E279UxZx6xlray3RrGn7aC.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Repair Question<br></h3><p>One of the more practical measures in the strategy is a national Repair Voucher Scheme, to be introduced no later than 2027.</p><p>The logic is simple. Too often, repairing something costs almost as much as replacing it. If the numbers don’t stack up, consumers choose new.</p><p>A voucher scheme narrows that gap and repair work is local by nature. It supports small businesses, keeps skills alive in towns and prevents useful materials from becoming waste prematurely.</p><p>Circularity isn’t always high-tech. Sometimes it’s a screwdriver and a soldering iron.</p><figure id="figure-2su9j3uzdmm2k9e30" class=""><img id="2su9j3uzdmm2k9e30" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1asx1tb5XTKEV9RpGgPgadUvpdBNczqKgsVfVvSke2eaTxPeIq6ZZAd6JDeVdF9S.jpeg" alt="Sharing,reusing,repairing,renovating and recycling existing materials and products as much possible.Circular economy concept. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions are increasing." title="Sharing,reusing,repairing,renovating and recycling existing materials and products as much possible.Circular economy concept. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions are increasing." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1asx1tb5XTKEV9RpGgPgadUvpdBNczqKgsVfVvSke2eaTxPeIq6ZZAd6JDeVdF9S.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Digital Product Passports — Transparency Is Coming<br></h3><p>Under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Digital Product Passports will be introduced for priority product groups, beginning at EU level with areas such as textiles.</p><p>These passports will detail what a product is made of, how durable it is, how repairable it is and how it can be recycled.</p><p>That may not sound revolutionary, but it changes expectations. Manufacturers will need to think differently about lifespan. Consumers will have more information. Supply chains will become more transparent.</p><p>And once transparency enters a market, behaviour usually follows.</p><figure id="figure-01cvibkhzhf5mm2kaoqo" class=""><img id="01cvibkhzhf5mm2kaoqo" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" alt="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" title="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Agriculture and the Bioeconomy — Not a Side Note<br></h3><p>Agriculture features within the strategy’s priority sectors as part of the wider bioeconomy. That’s not symbolic.</p><p>Ireland has committed to reducing food waste by 50% by 2030, in line with international targets. That affects supply chains from farm to fork.</p><p>Circularity in agriculture isn’t just about waste reduction. It’s about how organic by-products are managed, how biomass is used, and how value is extracted from materials that previously had little or no economic return.</p><p>For rural enterprise, that opens doors rather than closes them.</p><figure id="figure-yzrbvc89llmm2kcnsx" class=""><img id="yzrbvc89llmm2kcnsx" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cLQX47vDXIGJqkqT4NCWYo5Cc0LPkprztcnLLeT0A5QqcUHbrajOhWSpLqO8fZqc.jpeg" alt="Ahead of the herd" title="Ahead of the herd" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cLQX47vDXIGJqkqT4NCWYo5Cc0LPkprztcnLLeT0A5QqcUHbrajOhWSpLqO8fZqc.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Bigger Shift</h3><p>The most striking thing about this strategy is not the individual targets, it’s the starting point.</p><p>2.7% circularity tells us that Ireland remains overwhelmingly dependent on virgin material flows. Reaching 12% by 2030 means rethinking procurement, redesigning products, revaluing waste streams and changing consumer behaviour.</p><p>That won’t happen overnight. It won’t happen evenly. And it won’t happen without friction.</p><p>But it does signal a shift in how growth is being measured.</p><figure id="figure-c1ohchuh3vmm2kdmjf" class=""><img id="c1ohchuh3vmm2kdmjf" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27ARnOzeSZFvexpR5hrOHGE7Se0mWeiNegc6MvTTqNsN6YriAqoB4A3YR3Ym1Quo.jpeg" alt="Make sure not to eat too much too quick" title="Make sure not to eat too much too quick" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27ARnOzeSZFvexpR5hrOHGE7Se0mWeiNegc6MvTTqNsN6YriAqoB4A3YR3Ym1Quo.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The circular economy can sound abstract. It isn’t.</p><p>It’s about where materials come from, how long they last, and whether we treat waste as an endpoint or as a resource.</p><p>Right now, more than 97% of Ireland’s material use remains linear. That’s the reality. If the strategy succeeds, the percentage will rise year by year, two points at a time, on the way to 12% by 2030.</p><p>Not dramatic headlines, not overnight change, just steady structural adjustment.</p><p>And sometimes, that’s how the most meaningful economic shifts actually happen.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.&nbsp;</p>

Ireland’s Circular Economy Strategy — Why 2.7% Should Get Our Attention

An Adorable Hedgehog is Being Cuddled Gently in Loving Hands, Bringing Plenty of Joy

<h3>Introduction&nbsp;</h3><p>The recent focus on hedgehog conservation has struck a chord with people, and not just because it’s a species everyone recognises.</p><p>For those of us working in agriculture, sustainability and land management, it’s hard to miss the bigger message behind it. When a common, adaptable animal starts disappearing from a landscape as green and farmed as Ireland, it tells us something important about how that landscape is functioning.</p><p>We don’t yet have a single definitive population figure for hedgehogs in Ireland but we do know they are in decline, and we know why: loss of habitat, less connected countryside, and reduced food availability. That mirrors what has already happened in other parts of Europe, where the drops have been dramatic.</p><p>And when you set that alongside the wider biodiversity data for Ireland, the pattern becomes very clear.</p><figure id="figure-dbfm1vx73mm13x071" class=""><img id="dbfm1vx73mm13x071" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2jyuDxUtedP1EilOhR3pzd4RsTpZ5V65WshAsBZf9VVvaGImPFBu3xJgu7pzu0N4.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog grass clover" title="Hedgehog grass clover" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2jyuDxUtedP1EilOhR3pzd4RsTpZ5V65WshAsBZf9VVvaGImPFBu3xJgu7pzu0N4.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The direction of travel is not good — but it is very clear</h3><p>The most recent national assessments show:</p><ul><li>90% of Ireland’s EU-protected habitats are in unfavourable condition.</li><li>56% of our native plant species have declined.</li><li>Of 3,140 species assessed, 14.7% are now threatened with extinction and 2.7% are regionally extinct.</li></ul><p><br>Those aren’t niche conservation figures. They describe the living systems that farming depends on, the soils, insects, water cycles and plant communities that make production possible in the first place.</p><p>At the same time, farmland covers almost 68% of Ireland’s land area.<br>So whatever way we look at it, the future of biodiversity in this country is going to be decided on farms.</p><figure id="figure-0krc6tage5mm13yy4m" class=""><img id="0krc6tage5mm13yy4m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21S00nQyy33ungCPpZMX45JUlEYk0hTnH6ZkMMpUTFdUiPs7DJbJFOofAhBqJtRR.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog grass clover" title="Hedgehog grass clover" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21S00nQyy33ungCPpZMX45JUlEYk0hTnH6ZkMMpUTFdUiPs7DJbJFOofAhBqJtRR.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>This isn’t just about wildlife — it’s about how productive landscapes work<br></h3><p>Hedgehogs need a very particular kind of countryside:</p><ul><li>Hedgerows with real structure.</li><li>Margins that aren’t sterile.</li><li>Insects in the soil and sward.</li><li>The ability to move safely from one field to the next<br></li></ul><p>That’s not a romantic picture of the past. That’s a functioning agricultural landscape.</p><p>Because the same features also support pollination, natural pest control, water regulation and soil health. Take pollinators as one example. In Ireland:</p><ul><li>30 of our 99 wild bee species are at risk of extinction.</li><li>insect pollination is worth up to €59 million per year to Irish food production.</li><li>That’s not an environmental add-on,&nbsp; that’s a production input we don’t have to pay for when the system is working.</li></ul><p>Birds tell a similar story:</p><ul><li>Twenty-six per cent of Ireland’s regularly occurring bird species are now on the Red List and 37% on the Amber List.</li><li>Overall, 63% are now considered of conservation concern.</li></ul><p>Again, these are not abstract losses. These are indicators of how simplified and disconnected parts of the farmed landscape have become.</p><figure id="figure-jbumvmannmm142n9m" class=""><img id="jbumvmannmm142n9m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/212oGTeM7BgCn5akYBM4VXDRmYAOvhlp5qLKYKzwFifZ3ZHB4LdhQRNDbGQY4lUl.jpeg" alt="Swans, cygnets and ducks" title="Swans, cygnets and ducks" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/212oGTeM7BgCn5akYBM4VXDRmYAOvhlp5qLKYKzwFifZ3ZHB4LdhQRNDbGQY4lUl.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Biodiversity is now a farm business issue<br></h3><p>There’s a tendency to talk about biodiversity as if it’s a constraint. In reality, it’s becoming an asset, and a measurable one.</p><p>Ireland’s biodiversity is estimated to deliver around €2.6 billion per year in ecosystem services. That includes soil formation, nutrient cycling, pollination and water regulation, the things that keep input costs down and productivity stable.</p><p>At the same time, policy and markets are moving in the same direction.<br>Future supports, supply-chain requirements and sustainability reporting are all increasingly looking for evidence of environmental performance.</p><p>So the question for farms is changing from: “How do we fit biodiversity in?”to: “How do we use it to strengthen the system?”</p><figure id="figure-mhvd61aiuimm146vor" class=""><img id="mhvd61aiuimm146vor" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/253G6ySxuNxQj1QzkcOj8geR5Vr35C8SYHczJWMsW03dguDkOSC24sxfVwiuhs6Q.jpeg" alt="Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula" title="Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/253G6ySxuNxQj1QzkcOj8geR5Vr35C8SYHczJWMsW03dguDkOSC24sxfVwiuhs6Q.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The practical side: most of the solutions are already familiar<br></h3><p>What’s interesting is that the actions that help hedgehogs are not radical or new. They are the same measures that come up again and again in good farm planning:</p><p><strong>Managing hedgerows for structure rather than appearance:</strong><br></p><ul><li>Cutting on rotation and allowing flowering and fruiting makes them useful as habitat while still doing their job for stock and shelter.</li></ul><p><strong>Keeping and managing field margins:</strong><br></p><ul><li>These areas protect water, support insects and create movement corridors across the farm.</li></ul><p><strong>Reducing chemical pressure where it makes sense:</strong></p><ul><li>Not as an ideology, but as a way of supporting soil biology and the wider food web that production ultimately depends on.</li></ul><p><strong>Improving connectivity:</strong><br></p><ul><li>Because in a fragmented landscape, even small changes in permeability make a real difference.</li></ul><p>None of this takes land out of farming. It makes the land work better.</p><figure id="figure-s2q4cmxhamm148q6p" class=""><img id="s2q4cmxhamm148q6p" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1eXmtey1ni8jGbrItnJ0IjPIlpDOp2HCnSLXga7VCWFgTag3iSR2uyD9faTXUbmM.jpeg" alt="Ireland" title="Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1eXmtey1ni8jGbrItnJ0IjPIlpDOp2HCnSLXga7VCWFgTag3iSR2uyD9faTXUbmM.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why the hedgehog is such a powerful starting point<br></h3><p>There are more endangered species than the hedgehog, there are rarer ones, there are more scientifically important ones. But the hedgehog has something they don’t: everyone knows it.</p><p>That matters, because it creates a bridge between the public conversation about biodiversity and the day-to-day reality of farm management.</p><p>And from an advisory and consultancy perspective, it opens the door to a much more useful discussion, one about how farms can:</p><ul><li>Deliver measurable environmental outcomes.</li><li>Align with CAP and future schemes.</li><li>Reduce long-term production risk.</li><li>Strengthen their market position.</li></ul><figure id="figure-ujd2yjl3m4mm14aymj" class=""><img id="ujd2yjl3m4mm14aymj" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/32F7QdIqqDpJ2ib8IG4k3ADNZHsYy6SqQAN5SplCRm8e5INFR4HmzZUEFgp1zhtY.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog" title="Hedgehog" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/32F7QdIqqDpJ2ib8IG4k3ADNZHsYy6SqQAN5SplCRm8e5INFR4HmzZUEFgp1zhtY.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The farms that will be strongest in the next decade<br></h3><p>If there is one thing the data is telling us, it’s this:</p><p>The most resilient farms in the future will not just be the most productive.<br>They will be the ones that can show:</p><ul><li>Functioning habitats.</li><li>Healthy soils.</li><li>Clean water.</li><li>Visible biodiversity</li></ul><p>Because those are the farms that will fit policy, fit markets and cope best with climate pressure.</p><figure id="figure-5vanpk6cemm14cpzi" class=""><img id="5vanpk6cemm14cpzi" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" alt="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" title="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In practical terms, it leaves it exactly where it has always been, in the hedgerow, in the margin, moving quietly across fields at night.</p><p>But as an indicator, it’s doing something much bigger. It’s showing us, in a very familiar and very visible way, whether the systems we are designing are working. And if we start to see it returning to places where it has disappeared, that won’t just be a conservation success.</p><p>It will be a sign that we are getting the balance right between production, sustainability and long-term viability in the Irish agricultural landscape.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

What the Hedgehog Is Telling Us About the Future of Irish Farming

A human holding fresh organic Spiral Wrack (Fucus spiralis) seaweed on the seashore. Concept of healthy nutrient harvest for medical use and food

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>For years now, seaweed has been talked about as the next big thing for Ireland’s coastal economy. On paper, the case is hard to argue with. We’re an island with roughly 7,500 km of coastline, sitting beside clean Atlantic water, while the global market for seaweed products is expected to be worth around €22 billion by 2028.</p><p>That sounds like the kind of opportunity countries build whole sectors around. And yet, when you look at the reality on the ground, the Irish industry is still tiny, worth about €495,000, producing just 496 tonnes of biomass. That gap between potential and reality is what’s driving the current tension. The argument isn’t really about seaweed. It’s about who gets to shape what happens next.</p><h3><img id="m3hesz4211mlwm1d9h" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/aQgGejWOvmaVI5Rv2cK8WrWQAywze540aFLnQPqzvJwrE2JDGpa8OtEp6Pskodvp.jpeg" alt="irish coast seaweed" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/aQgGejWOvmaVI5Rv2cK8WrWQAywze540aFLnQPqzvJwrE2JDGpa8OtEp6Pskodvp.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></h3><h3>A Big Resource, a Very Small Industry</h3><p>The strange thing about the Irish seaweed conversation is that everyone agrees on the fundamentals:</p><ul><li>We have the coastline.</li><li>We have the species.</li><li>We have the research capacity.</li><li>We have global demand moving in our direction.</li></ul><p>Seaweed is already being used in everything from food ingredients to agricultural biostimulants, animal feed trials, cosmetics and biodegradable materials. It sits right in the middle of the bioeconomy discussion, low-carbon, renewable, and, in production terms, remarkably efficient.</p><p>Because seaweed grows in seawater, it doesn’t need freshwater or fertiliser to grow, and when it’s cultivated properly it can take nutrients out of the surrounding water and support the wider marine environment.</p><p>In a country trying to balance food production with environmental targets, that’s not a small detail.</p><p>But none of that changes the fact that, economically, the sector here is still in its infancy.</p><figure id="figure-rewxmoyzymlwm5ivy" class=""><img id="rewxmoyzymlwm5ivy" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/34Yo6WzoAvrEqJF7Ak7Xu44LyZW5NsBcYwM2OmTOrprpkOsD1sivRnOkgrgyeF8O.jpeg" alt="Seagrass on the beach with the sunbeam shining on the sand. Low tide on the beach on a summer hot afternoon. Natures window. focus on the foreground.  Sustainable lifestyle." title="Seagrass on the beach with the sunbeam shining on the sand. Low tide on the beach on a summer hot afternoon. Natures window. focus on the foreground.  Sustainable lifestyle." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/34Yo6WzoAvrEqJF7Ak7Xu44LyZW5NsBcYwM2OmTOrprpkOsD1sivRnOkgrgyeF8O.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Row That’s Really About Trust<br></h3><p>The current dispute over cutting rights has been framed as a licensing issue. Technically, that’s true. In reality, it’s about something deeper, control, access and where the value ends up.</p><p>For people who have been harvesting seaweed along the same stretches of coast for generations, this isn’t an abstract policy debate. It’s about whether an industry that has always been small-scale and local is about to become something very different.</p><p>Once large licences enter the picture, the balance shifts. That’s not unique to seaweed, we’ve seen the same thing in forestry, in fishing, and in parts of agriculture. Scale changes who participates, and more importantly, who benefits.</p><p>And the fear along the coast is simple enough: if the processing and the profit move somewhere else, the resource will still be here, but the economic life built around it won’t.</p><figure id="figure-dys6gana6mlwm8fnp" class=""><img id="dys6gana6mlwm8fnp" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/9tVA84oiibDE4wgptsTr69ZIeXnadKBT7xN9b6MiPkNtb2t9g1EHC9wTPNF7Qa5Q.jpeg" alt="Stunning view of a tranquil bay at low tide. Rolling green hills meet the vast expanse of water, creating a breathtaking panorama. Perfect for travel brochures and nature publications." title="Stunning view of a tranquil bay at low tide. Rolling green hills meet the vast expanse of water, creating a breathtaking panorama. Perfect for travel brochures and nature publications." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/9tVA84oiibDE4wgptsTr69ZIeXnadKBT7xN9b6MiPkNtb2t9g1EHC9wTPNF7Qa5Q.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why the Economic Side Matters</h3><p>Seaweed has a habit of being talked about as if it’s just an environmental story. It isn’t. If it develops properly, it can create year-round marine employment in places where work is often seasonal. It can supply inputs into Irish agriculture, particularly in the area of soil health and reducing reliance on synthetic products. It can anchor processing activity in coastal regions that have been losing traditional industries for years.</p><p>That’s why the structure of the industry matters so much at this early stage. Because once a model is set, it’s very hard to change.</p><figure id="figure-0ni7ln25ksmlwmacti" class=""><img id="0ni7ln25ksmlwmacti" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27lN7Jkpu4Nq4Fa7sogLuZz3N4uXCXKZC8L621QNzEsV7BnEqH9Z8p6OB1RdzopM.jpeg" alt="The Oyster Farm: A Model of Sustainable Marine Agriculture" title="The Oyster Farm: A Model of Sustainable Marine Agriculture" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27lN7Jkpu4Nq4Fa7sogLuZz3N4uXCXKZC8L621QNzEsV7BnEqH9Z8p6OB1RdzopM.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Real Bottleneck — We’re Still Harvesting the Old Way<br></h3><p>One of the least talked-about realities is that Ireland still relies heavily on wild harvesting, while most of the global industry is based on cultivation.</p><p>Cultivation brings consistency. It brings scale. It justifies investment in processing and product development. Without it, you’re supplying raw material in small volumes and watching the higher-value activity happen somewhere else.</p><p>The national strategy already acknowledges this, hatcheries, native species development, a clearer licensing pathway for farms. All of that is understood.</p><p>But until those pieces move at speed, the sector stays where it is: full of promise, short on output.</p><figure id="figure-kbw5ryu22mlwmcgdt" class=""><img id="kbw5ryu22mlwmcgdt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/76CE7BpAipMs79qZBAkMPUF50aclgkDG5T5eCRwCRYwNuCocfLXZBAJHBl12LkUh.jpeg" alt="Oyster farming and oyster traps, floating mesh bags. Drone Aerial View Woodstown beach, Waterford, Ireland" title="Oyster farming and oyster traps, floating mesh bags. Drone Aerial View Woodstown beach, Waterford, Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/76CE7BpAipMs79qZBAkMPUF50aclgkDG5T5eCRwCRYwNuCocfLXZBAJHBl12LkUh.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A Familiar Story — Just at Sea Instead of on Land<br></h3><p>For farmers reading this, there’s a strong sense of déjà vu.</p><p>The questions are the same ones that have come up in Irish agriculture time and again:</p><ul><li>Who owns the resource?</li><li>Who carries the risk?</li><li>Who adds the value?</li><li>Who keeps the jobs?</li></ul><p>And maybe most importantly, do local communities become central to the new model, or do they become spectators?</p><p>Seaweed just happens to be the marine version of that conversation.</p><figure id="figure-shndhk529mlwmea3j" class=""><img id="shndhk529mlwmea3j" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/36GQzZxvcJ1cffpxTfb8Z75KLQQnS6s33viknHSXUshOU75doQxKqgl71lPSDKk4.jpeg" alt="Underwater photography. Sea weed plantation. Zanzibar, Tanzania." title="Underwater photography. Sea weed plantation. Zanzibar, Tanzania." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/36GQzZxvcJ1cffpxTfb8Z75KLQQnS6s33viknHSXUshOU75doQxKqgl71lPSDKk4.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Governance Problem No One Can Ignore<br></h3><p>Talk to anyone trying to develop a project in this space and the same issue comes up: time.</p><ul><li>Licensing takes too long.</li><li>Responsibility is spread across too many bodies.</li><li>Investment stalls while decisions crawl forward.</li></ul><p>In that vacuum, suspicion grows, and once that happens, even good proposals struggle to gain trust. It’s not that Ireland lacks a plan, it’s that the system moves more slowly than the opportunity.</p><figure id="figure-3gfvevtkekmlwmgcrz" class=""><img id="3gfvevtkekmlwmgcrz" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3a3YOCSRQndo1MbAfyqmqHhMEWd5zand9d5ivYjwRRmjW2WwsTq3VFJAwoKC95Yb.jpeg" alt="Intertidal basalt rocks and seaweed at Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland." title="Intertidal basalt rocks and seaweed at Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3a3YOCSRQndo1MbAfyqmqHhMEWd5zand9d5ivYjwRRmjW2WwsTq3VFJAwoKC95Yb.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>So What Happens Next?<br></h3><p>That’s the real question because the sector will grow, the global demand is too strong, and the climate and bioeconomy agendas are pushing in the same direction.</p><p>The choice isn’t whether development happens, it’s what shape it takes.</p><p>If it links production, processing and research to coastal regions, seaweed could become one of the few genuinely new income streams for those communities.</p><p>If it becomes an extractive model, where raw material leaves and value is added elsewhere, then the coastline will look the same, but the opportunity will have passed.</p><figure id="figure-d0jano6xamlwmjv1a" class=""><img id="d0jano6xamlwmjv1a" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3bT38GmYF45IWfGfnwNMqXUCqG9DZpKihNAsW0l3vtJ9rGuPdchJxdIiX2by8Za7.jpeg" alt="A human holding fresh organic Spiral Wrack (Fucus spiralis) seaweed on the seashore. Concept of healthy nutrient harvest for medical use and food" title="A human holding fresh organic Spiral Wrack (Fucus spiralis) seaweed on the seashore. Concept of healthy nutrient harvest for medical use and food" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3bT38GmYF45IWfGfnwNMqXUCqG9DZpKihNAsW0l3vtJ9rGuPdchJxdIiX2by8Za7.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Right now, Ireland’s seaweed industry is small enough that its future is still up for grabs. That won’t be the case for long.</p><p>The hard numbers, €495,000 in output, 496 tonnes produced, a global market heading towards €22 billion, tell you everything you need to know about the scale of the gap and the scale of the opportunity.</p><p>What happens next will decide whether seaweed becomes a locally rooted coastal industry or just another resource developed at a distance from the people beside it.</p><p>And that decision, more than any individual licence, is the one that really matters.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

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