OPINION: 'No farmers, no food, no future,' so time for change in the EU?
"No farmers, no food, no future," is a phrase that's stitched onto the back of our child's T-shirt hanging on the hallway clothes rack I pass in the dim light of the early hours.
In the quiet hours of midnight, when the world sleeps and the chill in the air bites just a little harder, many farmers find themselves out in their sheds assisting a calving or lambing.
The silent blanket of night gives birth not only to calves but also to contemplation.
“No farmers, no food, no future,” is a phrase that’s stitched onto the back of our child’s T-shirt hanging on the hallway clothes rack I pass in the dim light of the early hours.
It was purchased at that flashy Grassmen stand several ploughing championships ago, you know the one blatantly modelled on Spinal Taps tour bus.
“No farmers”.
The weight of that statement resonates deeply.
Though it may sound dramatic, the phenomenon of the disappearing farmer has been silently unfolding before us.
In 1984 there were approximately 80,000 dairy farms, 2024 there are approximately 16,500 dairy farms.
There are just 60 field vegetable growers left in Ireland.
In the span of a few decades, the agricultural landscape has transformed dramatically due to technology, innovations, price taking and policy.
But there are thousands of people in rural communities who bear the brunt of uncertainty, caught between the politics of food and the mobilizing tractor of change.
The comparison of 1984 and 2024 reveals a stark reality.
That farming is not just about ploughing fields and milking cows; it's about navigating a labyrinth of red tape and paperwork, that for many dictates the fate of their farms viability.
Hours of form filling, inputting data, inspections and meeting with advisors to keep application deadlines under control are as much a part of farming as hitting the diff, though Marty Mone might find “DAFM deadline pending” isn’t quite chart topper material.
At the heart of this struggle lies a larger narrative – the politics of food. We, the consumers, have become comfortably numb to the idea that food will always grace our shelves.
Yet, the reality of declining fresh produce shelves in our supermarkets often contradicts our assumptions. Farmers are price takers. Empty trays, higher prices – the signs of a food system at a crossroads.
As the European Commission engages in talks with the Mercosur trading bloc in South America, boiling point is brewing in Europe.
The discontent among farmers voiced through the protests that have erupted across EU countries.
While the discussions between the European Commission and Mercosur bloc persist, farmers will bear the brunt of this “cows for cars” exchange.
The fear that the agreement might allow an additional 99,000 tons of beef tariff-free into the EU is almost laughable when the same institution is committed to reducing Irish stocking numbers and Irish farmers capacity to earn a decent living through their derogation directive.
In the midst of these negotiations, it might be prudent for our MEP’s to remember that behind the trade agreements are people and livelihoods.
The thinning farm numbers are not just a statistic; Agriculture is the bedrock of rural communities. Family farms don’t just impact their own land— beyond the farm gate they support local economies.
They create jobs, sell their goods locally, and support other rural businesses.
Dawn is beginning to pierce the horizon. I turn on the news, the same chatter carousel of protests and politics. But one thought still burns in the cool light of morning.
No farmers, no food, no future.
Katie Gleeson is an online content creator who documents family life on a dairy farm in rural Tipperary via her Instagram account @katieinthecountry.