Use the “Previous” and “Next” links above to browse through the five pages of ideas in this category.

Examples of some of the ideas received in more details were published in batches over the course of the campaign.  Access all published sample ideas

Summary of ideas submitted in the Agriculture and Food category…

• Provision of coupons to be redeemed at farmers markets in lieu of social welfare benefits.
• Tax on unhealthy food and a subsidy for healthy food (healthy food is more labour intensive to produce, therefore more jobs created).
• Scheme for promotion of biofuels similar to Bord Na Mona scheme
• Be more self sufficient with food look to local economy than global economy.
• Produce ginger beer and market, very Irish. No alternative on Irish market at the moment and added benefit - it’s low in alcohol.
• Allotments - scheme similar to Allotments Act 1934 which was repealed in 1994.
• McDonald’s chain to introduce fish burgers on the menu as fish is more beneficial.
• Buy and source our food locally
• Government could facilitate putting land from CAP Policy to constructive use. Huge potential to exploit organic farming / food production.
• Franchise of allotments for urban dwellers.
• Look at imports and decide what we can produce ourselves.
• Invest in productivity of agriculture, grow vegetables, polytunnels, drain bogs, and get people working on the land.
• Scheme involving import substitution especially in the area of organic produce
• Organic - give farming subsidies for organic and ethical farming.
• Teagasc, the British Horse Society, the AIRC (Riding Clubs) and the Irish Horse Board should develop packs for farmers, riding clubs and tourism businesses with forms, checklists etc. so that individuals and businesses can expand equestrian activity both for foreign tourists and for Irish riders.
• Profit sharing scheme - offer incentives to landowners neighbouring a dairy farmer, who have an up and running milling plant to allow their land to be used for milk production.
• Start a business producing organic and Halal meat.
• Change St Patrick’s day to either a Friday or Monday if it falls midweek.
• Irish farm cooperatives should form partnerships with similar cooperatives in France to exchange and market each other’s products.
• Re-activate the sugar beet processing facility at Mallow owned by Greencore.
• Introduce a tax on fast food.
• Start making wine from blackberries.
• Government/banks to take control of the lands purchase by builders, lying idle, with huge debts owing to the banks, and rezone it semi-agricultural until such time as the economy recovers.
• Take on vacant buildings and set up a ‘food centre of excellence’, sub-leasing small units to similar businesses and consolidating marketing/overheads.
• A tax on chocolates, crisps, etc.
• Register beef farmers as beef producers. This would dispense with continuous cattle testing by beef farmers.
• Reduce corporation tax to 8% therefore attracting foreign investment.
• Allotments scheme to rent to city dwellers.
• Local community to help farmers by allowing them to grow vegetables and fruit on their vacant lands. This could create jobs and would provide fresh produce for local shops/services.
• A tax on fast food from take-aways, frozen foods in supermarkets, increases in price of chocolate and fizzy drinks.
• Become more self sustainable. Land which has been set aside for different building projects etc should be put to good use in the form of allotment or market gardens.
• Concentrate on organic products.
• Set up a small outlet set up in a local community, where local people can sell food they make.
• Organic certified island.