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Aerial view of Blue green algae at the Canoe trail at Movanagher Lock Kilrea on The River Bann from Lough Neagh Northern Ireland

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Irish aquaculture is talked about a lot, but rarely understood. It tends to surface in public discussion only when there’s a dispute, a delay, or an objection. Outside of those moments, it fades into the background, even though it’s producing food every day and supporting livelihoods along the coast.</p><p>That disconnect matters. Because when a sector is only visible through controversy, it never gets judged on its full reality.</p><figure id="figure-5bkf8otu88mkpmmyje" class=""><img id="5bkf8otu88mkpmmyje" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/9EuxfJmHK2itGLfzRDQVl006u51Ql7rffNNEv6FUq4y5NGJaegHVgdcH6hNtjYxb.jpeg" alt="fish farm. Donegal Ireland, sustainability food production." title="fish farm. Donegal Ireland, sustainability food production." 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/9EuxfJmHK2itGLfzRDQVl006u51Ql7rffNNEv6FUq4y5NGJaegHVgdcH6hNtjYxb.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A Sector With Real Economic Weight<br></h3><p>Aquaculture in Ireland supports around 2,300 direct jobs, most of them in coastal and rural areas where work can be scarce and alternatives limited. These aren’t abstract roles. They’re people working on sites, in hatcheries, in processing facilities, in logistics and support services that keep farms operating.</p><p>The sector generates hundreds of millions of euro in economic activity each year and contributes a significant share of Ireland’s seafood supply. Farmed salmon, oysters and mussels make up a substantial portion of what’s eaten at home and what’s sold abroad.</p><p>In simple terms, aquaculture accounts for roughly 40% of Ireland’s total seafood production. Yet it rarely features in national conversations about food security, rural employment or regional development in the same way land-based farming does.</p><p>That gap between contribution and recognition is hard to ignore if you work in the sector.</p><figure id="figure-bxhq5j214mkpmog19" class=""><img id="bxhq5j214mkpmog19" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/12yWMLCqixtZvyJdCn6ysdFs3Rh19nY85yoWctdPAvJ5kEN4kgkmdoED7iWApezH.jpeg" alt="A marine farming, is surrounded by aquaculture structures. The calm water reflects the blue sky and the rolling hills of the coastline." title="A marine farming, is surrounded by aquaculture structures. The calm water reflects the blue sky and the rolling hills of the coastline." 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/12yWMLCqixtZvyJdCn6ysdFs3Rh19nY85yoWctdPAvJ5kEN4kgkmdoED7iWApezH.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>One of the Most Regulated Food Systems in the State<br></h3><p>There’s a persistent belief that fish farming operates with minimal oversight, anyone involved knows how far that is from the truth.</p><p>Aquaculture operates under layers of regulation; environmental licensing, planning consent, habitat protection, food safety rules, ongoing environmental monitoring, EU water and nature legislation. All of it applies, all of the time.</p><p>Production levels are cappe, stocking densities are controlled, environmental thresholds are set and enforced.</p><p>Taken together, aquaculture is one of the most tightly regulated forms of food production in Ireland. But most of that regulation is invisible to the public. People see cages, ropes or trestles from the shore. They don’t see the compliance systems, the monitoring data or the inspections behind them.</p><figure id="figure-9nebr6e5gnmkpmqfqt" class=""><img id="9nebr6e5gnmkpmqfqt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/31NnoKRRFLHA4kq9e4ehyGotg1y4JtfDoWB8kHdZBYDt2apBJNJATrtPU1LKo4ZM.jpeg" alt="Harbour Jetty at Ahakista Cork" title="Harbour Jetty at Ahakista Cork" 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/31NnoKRRFLHA4kq9e4ehyGotg1y4JtfDoWB8kHdZBYDt2apBJNJATrtPU1LKo4ZM.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Licensing Delays Shape the Entire Sector<br></h3><p>One of the biggest pressures facing Irish aquaculture is licensing, and it’s also one of the least understood.</p><p>In some cases, licence applications have taken over a decade to move through the system. During that time, farms are effectively frozen. Investment is put on hold. Expansion isn’t possible. Even basic planning becomes guesswork.</p><p>Equipment ages, staff move on, businesses operate in limbo.</p><p>These kinds of delays are not typical elsewhere in Europe, but they’ve become part of the landscape here. When that context is missing from public debate, stalled development is often misread as reluctance or lack of ambition, rather than a structural problem that farms have little control over.</p><figure id="figure-0s517bmanemkpmrot0" class=""><img id="0s517bmanemkpmrot0" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1asxc5ZrELEH63cjqTOFa4ZmAdJDHtpGCCRhWkx92HIr0Sn7644NPQ6pGOz9Jk6d.jpeg" alt="Male hands holding rainbow trout on the farm" title="Male hands holding rainbow trout on the 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/1asxc5ZrELEH63cjqTOFa4ZmAdJDHtpGCCRhWkx92HIr0Sn7644NPQ6pGOz9Jk6d.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Environmental Debate Without Scale or Context<br></h3><p>Environmental protection matters. Aquaculture operates in shared waters and carries responsibility for how it does so.</p><p>But debate often happens without acknowledging that farms operate within fixed production limits, that monitoring data is routinely collected, and that non-compliance has real consequences, including reduced output or closure.</p><p>When aquaculture is discussed only as a potential risk, without reference to how tightly it is managed, it becomes easy to frame the entire sector as a problem rather than a regulated food system.</p><p>Over time, that framing shapes public opinion and political confidence, whether it’s fair or not.</p><figure id="figure-gxc8iddldimkpmsod7" class=""><img id="gxc8iddldimkpmsod7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/34bBc0XUArCPxQ5MV25QgXf4M26cq6LNikCpOAHPWCyxZ9mQA0CF60tH9XW3JqV2.jpeg" alt="Worker on the oyster farm" title="Worker on the oyster 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/34bBc0XUArCPxQ5MV25QgXf4M26cq6LNikCpOAHPWCyxZ9mQA0CF60tH9XW3JqV2.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why the Sector Struggles to Tell Its Story<br></h3><p>There are practical reasons why aquaculture has a weak public narrative.</p><p>Fish farmers work around tides, weather windows, and biological cycles that don’t wait for office hours. Stock health, labour, equipment and compliance already fill the day. Public communication rarely makes it to the top of the list.</p><p>There’s also caution. Years of legal challenge and scrutiny have taught many operators to keep their heads down, even when they’re operating fully within the rules.</p><p>And aquaculture doesn’t fit neatly into how people imagine farming. It’s not on land, it’s not easy to visit, it doesn’t match familiar images of fields or sheds. That makes it easier to misunderstand, and easier to overlook.</p><figure id="figure-d3s0ruw09rmkpmu1ru" class=""><img id="d3s0ruw09rmkpmu1ru" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3558Mkeg6Wgmn7BDBkyMrcfZmOIohOWAuYbvQZiWuhQJCt9aqfSEBTBMNvthibOS.jpeg" alt="aerial view of a salmon fish farm in Bantry Bay in County Cork of western Ireland" title="aerial view of a salmon fish farm in Bantry Bay in County Cork of western 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="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3558Mkeg6Wgmn7BDBkyMrcfZmOIohOWAuYbvQZiWuhQJCt9aqfSEBTBMNvthibOS.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why This Matters Now<br></h3><p>Pressure on food systems isn’t easing, wild fisheries are under strain, demand for protein continues to grow. Climate impacts are becoming more unpredictable year by year.</p><p>Aquaculture is one of the few food sectors capable of producing animal protein at scale without using agricultural land or freshwater. That makes it strategically important, whether or not the public conversation reflects it.</p><p>If Irish aquaculture is to remain viable, invest responsibly and support coastal communities, it needs more than regulation. It needs understanding.</p><figure id="figure-btpjkrv7omkpmv8p7" class=""><img id="btpjkrv7omkpmv8p7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/31taba8AsuEFDcQwSc12jkaFa55jH4BOHe6rXu8dv1YGmu8W4gdGNqa1IXvL1ZU0.jpeg" alt="Woodstown Beach, Waterford, Ireland. some Oyster and seafood farm on the beach." title="Woodstown Beach, Waterford, Ireland. some Oyster and seafood farm on the beach." 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/31taba8AsuEFDcQwSc12jkaFa55jH4BOHe6rXu8dv1YGmu8W4gdGNqa1IXvL1ZU0.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Rebalancing the Conversation<br></h3><p>A stronger public narrative doesn’t mean glossing over challenges. It means explaining reality plainly and early.</p><p>It means stating clearly that aquaculture supports around 2,300 jobs, contributes hundreds of millions of euro to the economy, accounts for around 40% of seafood production, and operates under licensing delays measured in years, not months.</p><p>When those facts are missing, debate becomes distorted. When they’re present, discussion becomes more grounded and more honest.</p><figure id="figure-7coisuzozgmkpmw0kk" class=""><img id="7coisuzozgmkpmw0kk" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/a76LgOou97ToPsEtn1CX1GKgvzqf8V0WcQ5r2JTIzCiWky3vwvSJ2QCtRgAMZ9Wu.jpeg" alt="Fresh Shellfish display on English Market for sale. Cork/Ireland" title="Fresh Shellfish display on English Market for sale. Cork/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/a76LgOou97ToPsEtn1CX1GKgvzqf8V0WcQ5r2JTIzCiWky3vwvSJ2QCtRgAMZ9Wu.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Irish aquaculture already carries heavy regulation. What it lacks isn’t oversight, but balance.</p><p>Without a clearer public narrative, the sector will continue to be judged on fragments rather than facts. And when decisions are made on fragments, the cost is paid by real people, real jobs and real coastal communities.</p><p>Aquaculture doesn’t need special treatment. It needs a fair hearing. And that starts with telling the full story, properly.</p><p><br></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Why Irish Aquaculture Needs a Stronger Public Narrative

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Athlone doesn’t often find itself at the centre of national debate, but in early January 2026, that changed. What unfolded there wasn’t a symbolic gathering or a token show of opposition, it was one of the largest farming-related protests Ireland has seen in recent years.</p><p>Attendance figures varied, as they often do with events of this scale. Garda estimates put the crowd at around 27,000 people, while organisers said the turnout was closer to 30,000. Even at the lower end, it was a substantial mobilisation by any standard.</p><p>Farmers travelled from every corner of the country, many arriving by tractor, others by bus or car, joined by rural families and supporters. The message was clear and consistent: the proposed EU–Mercosur trade agreement has crossed a line for Irish agriculture.</p><figure id="figure-vei4hzb91gmkfnbmik" class=""><img id="vei4hzb91gmkfnbmik" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/32R5RwGSdCgQb097bnk6MPp8XiClr16tYe6njDjLrwWxJgyyOIEMHzLejSNWPsuJ.jpeg" alt="Farmers rally, France, Europe" title="Farmers rally, France, Europe" 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/32R5RwGSdCgQb097bnk6MPp8XiClr16tYe6njDjLrwWxJgyyOIEMHzLejSNWPsuJ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why Farmers Turned Out in Such Numbers<br></h3><p>The focus of the protest was the proposed EU–Mercosur trade agreement, a deal that has been under negotiation for more than 25 years. It involves the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.</p><p>If it is fully implemented, the agreement would create a trade area covering more than 700 million consumers worldwide. It is designed to reduce tariffs and expand trade flows between Europe and South America across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture.</p><p>That scale is exactly what has unsettled many in Irish farming.</p><p>For beef farmers in particular, the concern is straightforward. The deal would increase access for South American beef into the EU market. Farmers fear this beef would be produced at lower cost and under different regulatory systems, while Irish producers continue to operate under some of the strictest environmental, animal welfare and food safety rules in the world.</p><figure id="figure-q2knkxgsjjmkfnexa6" class=""><img id="q2knkxgsjjmkfnexa6" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/37PYVfVTv4wRLznH5UFnjhJ79FiD2dJlM5mtSY5BetgY1SsBTUrLainuRygeGhrc.jpeg" alt="Meat" title="Meat" 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/37PYVfVTv4wRLznH5UFnjhJ79FiD2dJlM5mtSY5BetgY1SsBTUrLainuRygeGhrc.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What Athlone Looked Like on the Day<br></h3><p>From early morning, roads into the town filled steadily. Tractors lined approach routes. Fields and car parks were pressed into service to manage the volume of people. Placards calling for fairness, food integrity and protection of Irish farming were everywhere.</p><p>The atmosphere was calm but determined. Stewards kept things moving. Speakers addressed the crowd throughout the day. There was anger, certainly, but it was controlled. This was about being heard, not causing disruption.</p><p>Some of the protest was symbolic. A mock coffin marked “EU Food Safety RIP” was carried during the demonstration. It wasn’t subtle, and it wasn’t meant to be. For many there, it summed up a fear that Irish food standards, hard-won over decades, could be undermined by imports produced under very different conditions.</p><figure id="figure-wv6z0mtziimkfnnmuw" class=""><img id="wv6z0mtziimkfnnmuw" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2EhmT4hS7lSjJuoByEaSMzG3AHhWK4I6qVYhBJofhxsGuwsBn3Yy3DhlCOwiwJn6.jpeg" alt="Young woman at demonstration" title="Young woman at demonstration" 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/2EhmT4hS7lSjJuoByEaSMzG3AHhWK4I6qVYhBJofhxsGuwsBn3Yy3DhlCOwiwJn6.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What Farmers Are Saying<br></h3><p>Listening to people on the ground, the same points came up again and again.</p><p>Farmers spoke about the risk of being undercut by cheaper imports. They spoke about frustration at being held to high standards that may not be matched by imported food. Many talked openly about viability, about already tight margins, and about how little room there is left to absorb another hit.</p><p>More than one speaker described the deal as a death knell for Irish farming, particularly for beef producers. Others raised a quieter but no less serious concern: what message this sends to younger farmers deciding whether to stay in the sector at all.</p><figure id="figure-sj6w9itoymkfnp5m5" class=""><img id="sj6w9itoymkfnp5m5" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cAEwRVQvrdAS9HBVEDXnX43uvXJN65QDD7viruf8J0eNV3OrNEpI7pWKeLhcLy48.jpeg" alt="There you go my dear" title="There you go my dear" 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/cAEwRVQvrdAS9HBVEDXnX43uvXJN65QDD7viruf8J0eNV3OrNEpI7pWKeLhcLy48.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Where the Mercosur Deal Stands Now<br></h3><p>It’s important to be clear about where the deal actually stands.</p><p>The EU–Mercosur agreement has been backed at EU Council level by a qualified majority of member states, but it has not yet taken legal effect. For that to happen, it must still be approved by the European Parliament.</p><p>That ratification stage is now the main focus for those opposing the deal.</p><p>Ireland is among a group of EU countries that have publicly voiced opposition to the agreement in its current form. The concerns raised relate to agriculture, environmental protections and whether production standards can be enforced in practice. Other member states have made similar points, and political pressure is continuing as the parliamentary process moves closer.</p><figure id="figure-qcxp35gi2ymkfnqlta" class=""><img id="qcxp35gi2ymkfnqlta" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/6iNx7XFhOIvYIETfXRul1PkYXWJY3Chij0UhiZqxku2uocE62omXvbYivW8npSJ3.jpeg" alt="South America Map" title="South America Map" 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/6iNx7XFhOIvYIETfXRul1PkYXWJY3Chij0UhiZqxku2uocE62omXvbYivW8npSJ3.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why the Stakes Feel So High<br></h3><p>For the people who turned out in Athlone, this isn’t an abstract policy debate.</p><p>It’s about whether Irish farmers are being asked to compete on an uneven playing field. It’s about whether food standards mean the same thing when imports arrive at scale. And it’s about what happens to rural economies if farm incomes are pushed further under pressure.</p><p>Beef producers, in particular, feel exposed. Many believe that once increased imports begin, any damage done will be difficult to undo, regardless of assurances or safeguards offered later.</p><figure id="figure-0tlsiow4vmkfnrzjk" class=""><img id="0tlsiow4vmkfnrzjk" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/13ajUzZhh0FnEtfm5uJMdmF8L1Zng5obJ2IKqL5QUbnzD2L5KldKvJs6c8Q2vq33.jpeg" alt="Beautiful view of the bridge over the river Shannon, the parish church of Ss. Peter and Paul and the castle in the town of Athlone" title="Beautiful view of the bridge over the river Shannon, the parish church of Ss. Peter and Paul and the castle in the town of Athlone" 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/13ajUzZhh0FnEtfm5uJMdmF8L1Zng5obJ2IKqL5QUbnzD2L5KldKvJs6c8Q2vq33.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What Happens Next<br></h3><p>Organisers of the protest were clear on one thing: Athlone was not meant to be the end of this. It was a marker. Further political engagement, lobbying and mobilisation are expected as the European Parliament approaches its decision.</p><p>Whether the agreement is amended, delayed or ultimately blocked remains uncertain. What is not uncertain is the strength of feeling.</p><figure id="figure-168j0ynbosmkfnt3ue" class=""><img id="168j0ynbosmkfnt3ue" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/18N9nhY4m3bMjOVJafDB2YBwP0c2YdkcbEZUlL5eVzmZPAARm1Xfn726TXiJO4ex.jpeg" alt="High Angle View Of Crowd On Street" title="High Angle View Of Crowd On Street" 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/18N9nhY4m3bMjOVJafDB2YBwP0c2YdkcbEZUlL5eVzmZPAARm1Xfn726TXiJO4ex.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>With around 27,000 people counted by Gardaí and organisers estimating closer to 30,000, the protest sent a message that will be difficult to ignore. The Mercosur debate is no longer something happening quietly in Brussels. It has landed firmly in the middle of rural Ireland.</p><p>Whatever happens next, Irish farming has made one thing clear: it does not intend to be a silent stakeholder in decisions that could reshape its future.</p><p><br></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Irish Farming at a Crossroads: Athlone, Mercosur, and Future Challenges

Aerial video of Bann Road Solar Farm Rasharkin Village Co Antrim Northern Ireland

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>For a long time, solar panels in Ireland were talked about as something that might make sense eventually. A good idea, a future option, something worth keeping an eye on.</p><p>By the end of 2025, that conversation had clearly moved on.</p><p>The numbers alone tell you that solar is no longer hovering on the edges. It’s become a mainstream decision for thousands of households, and increasingly, something farms and rural businesses are taking seriously too.</p><figure id="figure-frab0lin97mkdwakdk" class=""><img id="frab0lin97mkdwakdk" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eZJr7jkskscfF768U4UNuVHZRTMNbL9yxtFMSP1mIcByJisUaxIWmOMImTXS88I.jpeg" alt="Service engineer checking solar cell on the roof for maintenance if there is a damaged part. Engineer worker install solar panel. Clean energy concept." title="Service engineer checking solar cell on the roof for maintenance if there is a damaged part. Engineer worker install solar panel. Clean energy concept." 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/2eZJr7jkskscfF768U4UNuVHZRTMNbL9yxtFMSP1mIcByJisUaxIWmOMImTXS88I.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Numbers That Matter — and They’re Hard to Ignore<br></h3><p>Let’s start with what actually happened in 2025:</p><ul><li>34,088 households installed solar panels with grant support.</li><li>33,048 Solar PV Scheme grants were awarded, the highest annual total ever recorded.</li><li>That represented a 16% increase on 2024, and a 49% rise compared with 2023.</li><li>To ground that comparison: 29,151 grant-assisted installations were recorded in 2024.</li></ul><p>That’s not incremental growth, that’s acceleration.</p><p>What’s also telling is where it happened. Twenty-one counties exceeded their 2024 installation numbers, showing this wasn’t confined to cities or commuter belts.</p><p>In Clare, Kerry, Waterford, Mayo and Wexford, more than 1,000 households availed of the scheme in 2025 alone. </p><figure id="figure-4lpk94df1dmkdwcpw6" class=""><img id="4lpk94df1dmkdwcpw6" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/35JD6sc65Xb2qYKopQKNROlFGxLJ5fWBmwHO05nFpaRsgPS1c5gV0MhQCdKi9lnG.jpeg" alt="solar panels" title="solar panels" 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/35JD6sc65Xb2qYKopQKNROlFGxLJ5fWBmwHO05nFpaRsgPS1c5gV0MhQCdKi9lnG.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why People Are Actually Going Ahead With It<br></h3><p>Solar uptake doesn’t surge like this unless a few things line up at the same time.</p><p><strong>The Grant Stayed Put</strong><br>The domestic Solar PV grant remains capped at €1,800, and that level of support has been confirmed to continue into 2026. That certainty matters more than people sometimes realise.</p><p>The structure itself is straightforward:</p><ul><li>€700 per kWp for the first 2kWp.</li><li>€200 per kWp for the next 2kWp,</li><li>Up to the €1,800 maximum.</li></ul><p>People understand it. Installers understand it. And when support is predictable, decisions stop being endlessly delayed.</p><figure id="figure-zuq8zgbramkdweo0a" class=""><img id="zuq8zgbramkdweo0a" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/20hEjS9nnl01x8qb04Ozfe5BkZnbSkt1mvwLLxcg7iJTQenngx5NWVgnqZ8nOlBo.jpeg" alt="Energy efficient building, solar panels and green sod roof" title="Energy efficient building, solar panels and green sod roof" 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/20hEjS9nnl01x8qb04Ozfe5BkZnbSkt1mvwLLxcg7iJTQenngx5NWVgnqZ8nOlBo.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Energy Costs Changed the Mindset<br></h3><p>Even though prices have eased from their peaks, the last few years have changed how people think about electricity. Volatility has a habit of sticking in the memory.</p><p>For many households, and especially farms, solar isn’t about being “green first”. It’s about having some control over energy costs and not being entirely exposed to whatever comes next.</p><figure id="figure-9rdxp7dmkmkdwg4a5" class=""><img id="9rdxp7dmkmkdwg4a5" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/20K5BTckHZZKz2YKwhEpidivPNTAMFTOXyUKsnp0w93vvKY1ek6CshjzpyQPK5tb.jpeg" alt="Sheeps standing next to a field of solar panels an windmill in the distance. Agrivoltaics concept that involves the shared use of land for solar parks and sheep grazing." title="Sheeps standing next to a field of solar panels an windmill in the distance. Agrivoltaics concept that involves the shared use of land for solar parks and sheep grazing." 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/20K5BTckHZZKz2YKwhEpidivPNTAMFTOXyUKsnp0w93vvKY1ek6CshjzpyQPK5tb.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why Farms Are a Different Conversation Altogether<br></h3><p>A lot of the headline figures are framed around homes, but farms are operating under a different scheme, and at a very different scale.</p><p>Under the Non-Domestic Microgen Grant, the hard facts are:</p><ul><li>The scheme supports businesses and agricultural enterprises.</li><li>Solar PV installations are eligible up to 1000kWp (1MWp).</li><li>The maximum grant available is €162,600.</li></ul><p><br>That’s a world away from domestic rooftop systems. It’s why solar on farms isn’t just about shaving a bill anymore, it’s about infrastructure, long-term planning, and how energy fits into the farm business as a whole.</p><figure id="figure-x1rixvxhs8mkdwhjfs" class=""><img id="x1rixvxhs8mkdwhjfs" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/3722nUxxPrTmh007EHZFOisnyxBvGNmMKOjoWyKxHifFlQNDF9cHBD0XiRcOze9q.jpeg" alt="Aerial view of the solar panel in solar farm in evening sun light." title="Aerial view of the solar panel in solar farm in evening sun light." 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/3722nUxxPrTmh007EHZFOisnyxBvGNmMKOjoWyKxHifFlQNDF9cHBD0XiRcOze9q.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What 2025 Really Tells Us<br></h3><p>The value of the 2025 figures isn’t just in how big they are. It’s in what they confirm.</p><p>They show that:</p><ul><li>Solar PV is no longer niche in Ireland.</li><li>Uptake is happening across a wide spread of counties, not just in urban areas.</li><li>Domestic grant support remains stable at €1,800 into 2026, with a clear kWp-based structure.</li><li>Farms considering larger systems can access non-domestic support up to 1000kWp, with grants up to €162,600.<br></li></ul><p>In other words, the “does this work in Ireland?” phase is over. The country has already answered that question with 33,048 grants in one year.</p><figure id="figure-w9pmifcqqmkdwjsvq" class=""><img id="w9pmifcqqmkdwjsvq" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2cQQleBHcwZl8qOHIQsszt52Hl9GQqWf6wMVmtURnfx2BnaYL10KSEhwdhOWZxui.jpeg" alt="Cows" title="Cows" 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/2cQQleBHcwZl8qOHIQsszt52Hl9GQqWf6wMVmtURnfx2BnaYL10KSEhwdhOWZxui.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Where This Leaves Farmers<br></h3><p>For farmers looking at solar now, the decision isn’t about whether it’s a fad. The numbers make it clear it’s not.</p><p>The more useful questions are:</p><ul><li>Where does electricity get used most on the farm?</li><li>Does usage line up with daylight hours?</li><li>And what scale actually makes sense; domestic-sized, or something much bigger?</li></ul><p><br>Those are practical questions, not ideological ones. And they’re the kind of questions farmers are already used to asking when it comes to machinery, sheds or drainage.</p><figure id="figure-zeb5gwt538mkdwkzx8" class=""><img id="zeb5gwt538mkdwkzx8" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/13ZqcIPlYD7IUwPgyJMj9mAwI4evmCryQC0IWW8Jn0CNwN2werBmIr1yHhUEhlwm.jpeg" alt="Cow" title="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/13ZqcIPlYD7IUwPgyJMj9mAwI4evmCryQC0IWW8Jn0CNwN2werBmIr1yHhUEhlwm.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>When 34,088 households install solar panels with grant support in a single year, and 33,048 grants are awarded across 21 counties, something has shifted.</p><p>Solar PV isn’t being tested anymore. It’s being adopted, steadily, widely, and with increasing confidence. For farms, the presence of a non-domestic scheme supporting systems up to 1000kWp and €162,600 changes the scale of what’s possible entirely.</p><p>2025 didn’t just set a record. It marked the point where solar stopped being a future option and became part of how people are already managing energy in Ireland. And based on the figures alone, that momentum looks set to continue.</p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

The Rise of Solar PV in Ireland: A Look at 2025

Euro banknotes and coins in front of the national flag of Ireland

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>When a headline says the Department of Agriculture is sending over €4 million to the United Nations, it’s understandable if farmers read it once and move on. On a busy farm, global funding announcements can feel very far removed from day-to-day reality.</p><p>But when you sit with the detail for a moment, this particular decision starts to make more sense, not as a vague act of goodwill, but as part of how food systems are being propped up at a time when they’re under pressure in ways we’re all starting to recognise.</p><p>So here’s what’s actually been committed, what the numbers really are, and why it’s not as disconnected from Irish farming as it might look at first glance.</p><figure id="figure-99n8ax7q8fmk2pfp1z" class=""><img id="99n8ax7q8fmk2pfp1z" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2evFJFHerTRzZr27OeZxDZubPLeDkNvBGkKPMfMcccjZE31jWKVtHAWWB03BMxkr.jpeg" alt="The General post office Dublin" title="The General post office Dublin" 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/2evFJFHerTRzZr27OeZxDZubPLeDkNvBGkKPMfMcccjZE31jWKVtHAWWB03BMxkr.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What Was Committed — The Exact Breakdown</h3><p>For 2025, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture has confirmed a total contribution of €4.34 million to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.</p><p>That figure isn’t a single lump sum. It breaks down as:</p><ul><li>€2.02 million as Ireland’s annual FAO membership subscription.</li><li>€2.32 million directed towards specific FAO projects and programmes during 2025.<br></li></ul><p>Alongside that, Ireland has also committed €35 million to the UN World Food Programme for 2026.</p><p>That €35 million is structured as follows:</p><ul><li>€5 million to a trust fund focused on hunger linked to climate change.</li><li>€10 million as an annual allocation for WFP operations in the Horn of Africa.</li><li>€6 million for the WFP’s Syrian emergency response.</li><li>€14 million in fully flexible, unearmarked funding so the organisation can respond quickly as crises evolve.<br></li></ul><p>Separately again, it has been confirmed that Irish Aid funding to the World Food Programme in 2025 exceeded €13 million, supporting work in places including Gaza, Uganda, Tanzania and Ukraine.</p><p>Taken together, this isn’t a once-off gesture. It’s part of a structured, multi-year approach.</p><figure id="figure-0b7s7117demk2pijjt" class=""><img id="0b7s7117demk2pijjt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/a0IOW4YlBCkCJekDC03ZajzPxUf2XGcSFY0Ks34s5e22WgV8k2dsT8n23hCMW9vq.jpeg" alt="The entrance to a Government Building" title="The entrance to a Government Building" 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/a0IOW4YlBCkCJekDC03ZajzPxUf2XGcSFY0Ks34s5e22WgV8k2dsT8n23hCMW9vq.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Scale of the Problem It’s Responding To<br></h3><p>These decisions are being made against a backdrop that’s hard to ignore.</p><p>The most recent global food security reporting estimates that around 673 million people experienced hunger in 2024, representing about 8.2% of the world’s population. At the same time, 2.6 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet.</p><p>Those aren’t abstract numbers. They reflect food systems under strain from conflict, climate shocks and economic pressure, the same forces that farmers everywhere are grappling with in different forms.</p><p>When production breaks down in one part of the world, it doesn’t stay neatly contained. It shows up later in supply chains, prices, trade flows and political decisions.</p><figure id="figure-zu8fzjkkyemk2pjmpi" class=""><img id="zu8fzjkkyemk2pjmpi" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/33ycsvH1IwTAThN4tK3PvxXSibHSZjoea80CgB8Zfj1BlZqpNiy85DK13CdQQBOr.jpeg" alt="Fruits in crates ready for shipping. Cold storage interior." title="Fruits in crates ready for shipping. Cold storage interior." 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/33ycsvH1IwTAThN4tK3PvxXSibHSZjoea80CgB8Zfj1BlZqpNiy85DK13CdQQBOr.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What These UN Agencies Actually Do (In Practical Terms)<br></h3><p>It’s easy to lump everything under the heading of “the UN”, but the two organisations Ireland is funding here have very distinct roles.</p><p>The Food and Agriculture Organisation focuses on the nuts and bolts of food production and resilience, helping countries keep producing food under difficult conditions, strengthening plant and animal health systems, improving nutrition outcomes, and supporting sustainable farming practices.</p><p>Ireland’s €2.32 million in project funding is aimed at that practical, on-the-ground work, while the €2.02 million subscription keeps Ireland involved in how that work is shaped and prioritised.</p><p>The World Food Programme, on the other hand, is the emergency response arm. It’s about getting food to people in crisis, quickly, whether that crisis is driven by war, displacement, drought or extreme weather.</p><p>Ireland’s €35 million commitment for 2026 reflects that reality, with specific allocations to regions under severe pressure and €14 million kept flexible so responses aren’t delayed by bureaucracy when situations change suddenly.</p><figure id="figure-g7oq2ogbrnmk2pmn5p"><img id="g7oq2ogbrnmk2pmn5p" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/109PJX3SgEsNTz4YFsSTPlNhcpIl0r37lkrrmM7qTTGpUDcXK8GGfQP8JjG5mQ7j.jpeg" alt="File folders labeled 'AGRICULTURE' in an office." title="File folders labeled 'AGRICULTURE' in an office." 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/109PJX3SgEsNTz4YFsSTPlNhcpIl0r37lkrrmM7qTTGpUDcXK8GGfQP8JjG5mQ7j.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why This Still Matters for Irish Farmers<br></h3><p>No one is pretending this funding will make an immediate difference at the farm gate. It won’t. But it does matter in less obvious ways.</p><p>First, food insecurity at this scale creates instability, and instability doesn’t stay local. It feeds into migration pressures, political unrest, and disrupted markets. Ireland trades into those markets, whether directly or indirectly.</p><p>Second, the fact that €5 million of the WFP funding is explicitly tied to hunger linked to climate change tells you something important: food production, climate risk and security are now inseparable in global policy. That’s the same reality farmers are adjusting to at home, just under far harsher conditions elsewhere.</p><p>Third, Ireland’s involvement isn’t just financial. By engaging through FAO and WFP, Ireland has influence in discussions about food systems, standards, resilience and agricultural policy at an international level. That influence matters in a world where agriculture is increasingly judged, compared and regulated beyond national borders.</p><figure id="figure-0a6zxsj34mk2poa3w" class=""><img id="0a6zxsj34mk2poa3w" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/19GJdc7ysJ0WqFCJQytDSXjn6R8horpNdxF4w4OLZA2pBOHcwY5SrJwcmmQJXRw5.jpeg" alt="World Map Made Of Buckwheat Grain Seeds On Wooden Desk" title="World Map Made Of Buckwheat Grain Seeds On Wooden Desk" 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/19GJdc7ysJ0WqFCJQytDSXjn6R8horpNdxF4w4OLZA2pBOHcwY5SrJwcmmQJXRw5.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Putting It in Perspective<br></h3><p>So, to recap the hard facts:</p><ul><li>€4.34 million is being provided to FAO in 2025, split into €2.02 million in subscription funding and €2.32 million for specific projects.</li><li>€35 million is committed to the World Food Programme for 2026, broken down into €5 million for climate-linked hunger work, €10 million for the Horn of Africa, €6 million for Syria, and €14 million in flexible funding.</li><li>Over €13 million was also provided through Irish Aid to WFP in 2025.</li><li>Globally, 673 million people experienced hunger in 2024, and 2.6 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.</li></ul><p>Those figures are stark. And they explain why food security is no longer being treated as a distant humanitarian issue, but as a core part of global stability.</p><figure id="figure-3bx3yortpmk2pqety" class=""><img id="3bx3yortpmk2pqety" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/ep9wLxxloes0TAW7No6h4VeLfiuTJHhaucmqq72x9BYvuI5YlS0uERIoGQ77lb4j.jpeg" alt="Ploughing" title="Ploughing" 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/ep9wLxxloes0TAW7No6h4VeLfiuTJHhaucmqq72x9BYvuI5YlS0uERIoGQ77lb4j.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This funding isn’t about virtue signalling or box-ticking. It’s about recognising that food systems are interconnected, fragile, and increasingly exposed to shocks.</p><p>For Irish farming, that means the wider context matters more than it used to. What happens to production, access and stability elsewhere can shape markets, policy and expectations here at home.</p><p>Ireland’s €4.34 million FAO contribution and €35 million WFP commitment are part of how that reality is being managed, imperfectly, perhaps, but deliberately.</p><p>Agriculture has always been local in practice, but global in consequence. This is one of those moments where that truth is hard to ignore.</p><p><br></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Ireland's €4.34m UN Funding: Bridging Global Goals and Local Farming

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Litter isn’t always the first thing that comes up in farming conversations, but it has a way of creeping into daily life anyway. It turns up in gateways, along hedges, in drains, and on stretches of road that someone has to clean, usually the person living beside it.</p><p>That’s why the latest national litter survey is worth a closer look. Not because it’s a feel-good story (though parts of it are), but because the figures tell us what’s actually changing on the ground, and what isn’t.</p><figure id="figure-8arksc255gmk1dssa7"><img id="8arksc255gmk1dssa7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/e4lBG0sjghzwEwtxh4QfMJnZskrDQ2gFqVcnB3ocaMhCfs944Cwq8DYGLL5N8oZz.jpeg" alt="Antrim Coast, Ireland" title="Antrim Coast, Ireland" 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/e4lBG0sjghzwEwtxh4QfMJnZskrDQ2gFqVcnB3ocaMhCfs944Cwq8DYGLL5N8oZz.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Most Towns Are Cleaner Than They Used to Be — and That’s Not Nothing<br></h3><p>The clearest headline from the survey is this: out of 40 towns and cities assessed, 28 were judged to be clean or cleaner than European norms. That’s 70% of locations.</p><p>That’s a big shift when you think back even ten or fifteen years, when being labelled “clean” in a national survey felt like the exception rather than the rule.</p><p>This year also marked the first time Sligo finished top of the rankings, and, just as notably, no location was classed as “seriously littered”. That last point matters. It suggests that while problems still exist, the worst of the old blackspot situations are becoming less common.</p><figure id="figure-0jqmfu4z73mk1dvmbs" class=""><img id="0jqmfu4z73mk1dvmbs" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2a5uSnyWhK0iQ7KfNzbAhByZxRHHIHoVsaa2hwbgs5isYlaEZWHtbbeGrOPOmrZQ.jpeg" alt="Sligo city sunset landscape with view of Calry Parish Anglican Church and moored boats over the Garavogue River" title="Sligo city sunset landscape with view of Calry Parish Anglican Church and moored boats over the Garavogue River" 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/2a5uSnyWhK0iQ7KfNzbAhByZxRHHIHoVsaa2hwbgs5isYlaEZWHtbbeGrOPOmrZQ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Blackspots Haven’t Disappeared — But They’re Losing Ground<br></h3><p>One detail that stood out was the finding that no bottle bank was classed as a litter blackspot this year. Bottle banks were once almost guaranteed trouble spots; overflow, dumping, bags left beside them for days.</p><p>That hasn’t vanished entirely, but the fact that none reached blackspot status this time around says something important: some long-standing problems really are being pushed back.</p><p>Surveyors also noted a reduction in large accumulations of litter and dumping compared with previous years. That doesn’t mean every area is spotless, but it does mean the scale of the mess is shrinking in many places.</p><figure id="figure-69q8zpnuxmk1dxxse" class=""><img id="69q8zpnuxmk1dxxse" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/22RvZACvPVKVN44gICbax9qD6FFbgt80pq4UG1zLwM0A7NF2Mff0E9650EhbqIIN.jpeg" alt="Recyle Bins" title="Recyle Bins" 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/22RvZACvPVKVN44gICbax9qD6FFbgt80pq4UG1zLwM0A7NF2Mff0E9650EhbqIIN.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Deposit Return Is Doing Exactly What It Was Supposed to Do<br></h3><p>If there’s one area where the data is very clear, it’s the impact of the Deposit Return Scheme, which was introduced in February 2024.</p><p>Since then:</p><ul><li>Plastic bottles and cans are around 10% less prevalent in litter than last year.</li><li>More strikingly, they are around 60% less prevalent than before the scheme began.<br></li></ul><p>On the recycling side, the change has been dramatic. More than 1.6 billion bottles and cans have already been returned, and it’s estimated that around 798 million additional containers per year are now being recycled compared with the situation before the scheme.</p><p>Recycling rates for drink containers have jumped from about 49% to roughly 91%.</p><p>For anyone living in the countryside, that isn’t abstract. Fewer bottles and cans in towns means fewer of them ending up in ditches, hedges and fields when the wind gets up.</p><figure id="figure-b4pt48rxjtmk1dzvn4" class=""><img id="b4pt48rxjtmk1dzvn4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/31fmmkGMB5gwlxCZsp5W54Z93afIGayTl3bhhCbZitGc1soQr82vZnlI36czPANv.jpeg" alt="Recycling for a brighter future" title="Recycling for a brighter future" 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/31fmmkGMB5gwlxCZsp5W54Z93afIGayTl3bhhCbZitGc1soQr82vZnlI36czPANv.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Some Litter Just Refuses to Budge<br></h3><p>Not everything is improving at the same pace.</p><p>The survey found that disposable coffee cups were present at about one-fifth (20%) of all sites assessed, making them one of the most common litter items still being found.</p><p>Disposable vapes are another stubborn problem. Despite plans to phase them out over the course of 2026, their presence in litter has not yet declined.</p><p>That contrast is telling. Where there’s a strong system in place, like deposit return, behaviour changes quickly. Where there isn’t, habits tend to linger.</p><figure id="figure-h6tengfi1cmk1e1g8z" class=""><img id="h6tengfi1cmk1e1g8z" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/0CqbwkbfFGmVLsHbIX5bxk35ev927xRU9sCYC72nwoRY51QGhm4RvbhcQAHlb4DU.jpeg" alt="Electronic Cigarette Vape left lying on drain cover" title="Electronic Cigarette Vape left lying on drain cover" 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/0CqbwkbfFGmVLsHbIX5bxk35ev927xRU9sCYC72nwoRY51QGhm4RvbhcQAHlb4DU.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why This Isn’t Just an Urban Issue</h3><p>It’s easy to look at litter surveys and think they’re mainly about town centres. In reality, litter doesn’t stay put.</p><p>Lightweight waste moves. It blows, it washes, it ends up in places it was never dropped. And once it’s there, someone has to deal with it.</p><p>Cleaner towns mean:</p><ul><li>Fewer sharp items along rural roads.</li><li>Less plastic getting caught in hedges and fences.</li><li>Lower risk of rubbish ending up in drains and waterways that run through farmland.</li></ul><p><br>When waste systems work properly in one place, the benefits don’t stop at the boundary sign.</p><figure id="figure-uwwtpnt8v1mk1e3u47" class=""><img id="uwwtpnt8v1mk1e3u47" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2aAMznRUzZzyzAPXKrKuI9B6iPB4OnmcUXIeX4W4uibNKy292sozHOCuXDSeXQlc.jpeg" alt="Typical Irish countryside of green grassy fields West Cork Ireland" title="Typical Irish countryside of green grassy fields West Cork 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/2aAMznRUzZzyzAPXKrKuI9B6iPB4OnmcUXIeX4W4uibNKy292sozHOCuXDSeXQlc.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What the Numbers Actually Say</h3><p>Stripped back, the figures tell a fairly honest story:</p><ul><li>70% of surveyed towns and cities are now clean or cleaner than European norms.</li><li>No area is classed as seriously littered.</li><li>Bottle and can litter is down about 60% since the Deposit Return Scheme began.</li><li>Coffee cups remain widespread, appearing at 20% of sites.</li><li>Disposable vapes have not yet shown a reduction in litter levels.<br></li></ul><p>That’s progress; real, measured progress, but it’s uneven. And it’s clear that where policy backs up behaviour change, results follow faster.</p><figure id="figure-1ips82621dmk1e5byz" class=""><img id="1ips82621dmk1e5byz" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/84ibFowhDZRNrGRE7xWLO9sIM7pE2Muzh87e1xYTZ4Q1gVq5FKtg68LUprhSSsvD.jpeg" alt="used  plastic cups left in the street, unclean street background, litter in the street" title="used  plastic cups left in the street, unclean street background, litter in the street" 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/84ibFowhDZRNrGRE7xWLO9sIM7pE2Muzh87e1xYTZ4Q1gVq5FKtg68LUprhSSsvD.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Ireland hasn’t solved its litter problem, but it has shown that change is possible when effort is consistent and targeted.</p><p>For rural communities and farmers, the gains are practical as much as visual. Cleaner towns mean cleaner roadsides. Fewer bottles and cans mean fewer hazards. And less drifting waste means less time spent dealing with someone else’s mess.</p><p>The challenge now is to keep the momentum going, especially for the litter types that haven’t yet been tackled with the same focus.</p><p>The data shows we know what works. The next step is applying that lesson more widely.&nbsp;</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Ireland’s Litter Levels: Progress and Areas for Improvement

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Every so often, a trade announcement comes along that’s worth more than a skim. Not because it will change prices overnight, it won’t, but because it quietly alters the landscape Irish farmers are operating in.</p><p>Vietnam opening its market to Irish beef is one of those moments.</p><p>On its own, it might sound distant, another export destination, another country far from the mart ring. But when you set it alongside what’s happening in Europe, and what’s looming with Mercosur, it starts to look far more relevant to farm-gate reality than the headline suggests.</p><figure id="figure-nkjc2473rlmk1b80ww"><img id="nkjc2473rlmk1b80ww" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/aKOU517OrUQ4nkyjbpM4RcyYaOqiq8OA9vVYUpWIofDfzHmYrOUOwToKVglVAwEe.jpeg" alt="Cows eating hay indoors" title="Cows eating hay indoors" 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/aKOU517OrUQ4nkyjbpM4RcyYaOqiq8OA9vVYUpWIofDfzHmYrOUOwToKVglVAwEe.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Vietnam Is Not a Small Market — and It’s Changing Fast</h3><p>Vietnam’s population now sits at just over 100 million people. That alone puts it firmly in the “serious market” category. But population size isn’t the real driver here.</p><p>The key shift is income.</p><p>In 2023, Vietnam’s middle class accounted for roughly 13% of the population, or about 13 million people. Projections suggest that by 2026, that figure could rise to around 26%. In other words, the middle class is expected to double in a very short space of time.</p><p>That matters because rising incomes change diets. Beef consumption increases. Eating outside the home becomes more common. Imported food, especially food associated with safety, traceability and quality, becomes part of regular consumption rather than an occasional treat.</p><p>That’s the demand space Irish beef is stepping into.</p><figure id="figure-yqmzp7lmrmmk1cd2er" class=""><img id="yqmzp7lmrmmk1cd2er" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1cnlOnH1hmrj3azbBivdint1nqaT4PhL8U8xkOCp7K6Ms5w503jaKFN5cw2M7DmZ.jpeg" alt="Mince and steaks from the butcher's store - English Market, Cork, Ireland" title="Mince and steaks from the butcher's store - English Market, Cork, 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/1cnlOnH1hmrj3azbBivdint1nqaT4PhL8U8xkOCp7K6Ms5w503jaKFN5cw2M7DmZ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What Market Access Really Means (and Why It Matters)<br></h3><p>Market access doesn’t mean containers are shipping tomorrow morning. It means something more fundamental: Vietnamese authorities have formally recognised Ireland’s beef production and veterinary systems.</p><p>That recognition doesn’t happen quickly. It’s built on years of engagement, inspection, and alignment around animal health, traceability and food safety controls.</p><p>For farmers, the significance is simple: access creates optionality. It allows exporters to build routes when the commercial case stacks up, and that flexibility matters in a volatile global market.</p><figure id="figure-ulkwefvdwvmk1cf45e" class=""><img id="ulkwefvdwvmk1cf45e" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/11Fz5nvj0bQQKk5q4Z4v6E3OoOGg00a1B2QbHVCSh0TLwYCV51hW4CduIUKz9SXh.jpeg" alt="Pregnant woman with big belly buying pork meat in supermarket" title="Pregnant woman with big belly buying pork meat in supermarket" 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/11Fz5nvj0bQQKk5q4Z4v6E3OoOGg00a1B2QbHVCSh0TLwYCV51hW4CduIUKz9SXh.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Vietnam Is One Part of a Much Bigger Asian Picture<br></h3><p>Vietnam didn’t appear out of nowhere. It fits into a broader trend where Asia is playing a bigger role in global beef demand, and in Ireland’s export strategy.</p><p>Take South Korea. It is one of the world’s largest beef importers, with imports forecast at around 580,000 tonnes in 2025, and a similar volume expected again in 2026. That’s scale. That’s consistent demand.</p><p>Then there’s Japan, long viewed as a premium market. While it remains important, it’s not immune to economic pressure. In the first half of 2025, Japan’s total beef imports were down 12% compared with the same period in 2024.</p><p>That decline is a useful reminder: even large, established markets can soften. Which is exactly why spreading export risk matters.</p><p>Vietnam adds another strand to that web. Not a replacement. Not a silver bullet. But another outlet in a region where long-term protein demand is still growing.</p><figure id="figure-xs7f5chgl9mk1ck2xf" class=""><img id="xs7f5chgl9mk1ck2xf" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/14qDMHieMTDt7ODl2X6Uc9LWgvq1MLFuvZW9FCg4gGsbFCXRFGRpYhalXwqX2MBI.jpeg" alt="Butcher's shop seller helps to choose product to woman customer" title="Butcher's shop seller helps to choose product to woman customer" 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/14qDMHieMTDt7ODl2X6Uc9LWgvq1MLFuvZW9FCg4gGsbFCXRFGRpYhalXwqX2MBI.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why Mercosur Changes How This Should Be Viewed</h3><p>It’s impossible to separate this conversation from Mercosur, because farmers already haven’t.</p><p>The proposed Mercosur agreement includes a quota of 99,000 tonnes of beef, entering the EU at a 7.5% duty, phased in over several years and split between fresh/chilled and frozen beef.</p><p>On paper, that’s often described as roughly 1.5% of total EU beef production. In practice, market pressure rarely spreads evenly. It tends to hit hardest where margins are already tight.</p><p>For Irish farmers, the concern isn’t ideological, it’s practical. Competing with beef produced under very different cost and regulatory structures, while meeting some of the highest standards globally, creates real vulnerability.</p><p>This is where Asia matters strategically.</p><p>If Mercosur represents downward pressure within the EU, then markets like Vietnam, South Korea and Japan represent diversification outside it, markets where quality, consistency and safety carry weight.</p><p>That doesn’t eliminate Mercosur risk. But it does help balance it.</p><figure id="figure-rz0dcccgkgmk1cprhs" class=""><img id="rz0dcccgkgmk1cprhs" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/6iNx7XFhOIvYIETfXRul1PkYXWJY3Chij0UhiZqxku2uocE62omXvbYivW8npSJ3.jpeg" alt="South America Map" title="South America Map" 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/6iNx7XFhOIvYIETfXRul1PkYXWJY3Chij0UhiZqxku2uocE62omXvbYivW8npSJ3.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What This Means at Farm Level (Without Pretending It’s Immediate)<br></h3><p>No farmer is changing a system tomorrow because Vietnam opened its market. That’s not how trade works.</p><p>But over time, developments like this influence the system in quieter ways:</p><ul><li>More diversified demand means exporters are less dependent on any single outlet.</li><li>Different markets value different parts of the carcase, improving overall utilisation.</li><li>Premium positioning becomes easier to defend when buyers are willing to pay for it.<br></li></ul><p>None of that guarantees higher prices. But it can reduce exposure, and reduced exposure matters in a sector where margins are already thin.</p><figure id="figure-4cim2nlp4lmk1cvv8f" class=""><img id="4cim2nlp4lmk1cvv8f" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/38MtqZxZMD5tLMcx22Lr0wFvRGw26dLgMZleaWcCBs2ZrMpYJgVr5d7ZhweGA204.jpeg" alt="Cow Family in the meadow" title="Cow Family in the meadow" 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/38MtqZxZMD5tLMcx22Lr0wFvRGw26dLgMZleaWcCBs2ZrMpYJgVr5d7ZhweGA204.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why Asia and Mercosur Belong in the Same Conversation<br><br></h3><p>Export wins and trade threats are often discussed separately. In reality, they’re two sides of the same coin.</p><p>Mercosur raises questions about how Irish beef competes inside Europe. Asia raises questions about where Irish beef can compete on its own terms.</p><p>Vietnam’s 100-million-plus population, its rapidly expanding middle class (13% in 2023, projected to 26% by 2026), South Korea’s 580,000-tonne import demand, and Japan’s 12% import dip in early 2025 all point to one conclusion:</p><p>Irish beef needs more than one lane to market.</p><figure id="figure-144e3x6xqimk1cy2vy"><img id="144e3x6xqimk1cy2vy" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eJ4zxwaGOJPPUzacl4nW6txRdZ3wkbuSKIJK1Ik7YQRZzcXQRSpDwEz6Xexetc6.jpeg" alt="Beef Meat Stew with Beer, Braised Beef" title="Beef Meat Stew with Beer, Braised Beef" 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/2eJ4zxwaGOJPPUzacl4nW6txRdZ3wkbuSKIJK1Ik7YQRZzcXQRSpDwEz6Xexetc6.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Vietnam opening its market won’t solve every challenge facing Irish beef farmers. It won’t erase concerns about Mercosur. And it won’t lift prices overnight.</p><p>But it does something important.</p><p>It adds another serious, growing destination for Irish beef at a time when competition is intensifying closer to home. It reinforces Ireland’s reputation for safe, high-quality production. And it strengthens the case for diversification as a form of protection, not ambition.</p><p>In a world where pressure travels fast and markets shift quickly, having more doors open is never a bad thing.</p><p>For Irish beef, Asia, Vietnam included, is increasingly one of those doors.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

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