Making Ireland Fairer
Food distribution
The true social cost of food is becoming a more important element in the decisions we make about what to buy and consume. Brazilian beef, for example, might seem cheaper at the cash register in your local shop than beef produced on a farm within a few miles of the shop. But that apparent cheapness may well have been bought at the expense of, for example, rain forest degradation, the pollution of the air or sea and the increased health risks associated with consuming meat which might contain banned hormones. Promoting local production and distribution mechanisms is one way of addressing the problem of the hidden social, environmental and animal welfare costs of food which has travelled a long way to reach our plates. I believe Government should play an enabling role in the development of niche products which have the potential to succeed on local, regional and national markets.
