ICOS participated in a public consultation organised by the Department of Agriculture related to the environmental analysis of the Food Wise 2025 strategy. The final report of the environmental analysis will be presented to the Minister in September.

Food Wise contains 350 separate recommendations for the agri food sector, with the following targets to be achieved over the next ten years.

• Increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion
• Increasing value added in the agri-food, fisheries and wood products sector by 70% to in excess of €13 billion
• Increasing the value of Primary Production by 65% to almost €10 billion
• The creation of an additional 23,000 direct jobs in the agri-food sector across the supply chain from primary production to high valued added product development

Please view the ICOS written submission at the following link: http://www.icos.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/August-2015-ICOS-Submission-re-Food-Wise-2025-EA-Report.pdf

By Eamonn Farrell, Agri & Food Policy Executive