Watch: Farmers and environmentalists back in the trenches says Laois Offaly Minister who calls out 'nonsense'

The debate over the EU Restoration Law has reopened a divide between farmers and environmentalists with both groups "back in their trenches", according to a Laois Offaly Minister.

Minister of State Pippa Hackett made the comments speaking in the Seanad this week.

“Irish agriculture has a massive challenge ahead. And while we are making progress in so many ways, we have still some way to go,” she said.

The Senator who is a Minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine acknowledged that land has been subject to much debate.

“This has heated up in recent weeks with increased focus on the EU’s Nature Restoration Law...This has sadly opened up the old fault lines of environmentalists versus farmers, with both camps back in their well-worn trenches, and real and meaningful progress stalled, yet again,” she said.

The Green Party Minister, who sits at the Cabinet table, said that productive farming of the future will be about more than just food production.

“It will require that food is produced in a way that improves water quality, restores biodiversity, cleans our air, and reduces our emissions. Embracing system change is essential, because tinkering around the edges will not suffice.”

“You know you are in trouble when mainstream farming publications see going organic as a threat; when farm organisations turn a blind eye to environmental destruction; or when parliamentary parties take advice, to scare consumers and farmers, that being environmentally responsible will drive up the price of food, and the price of land.”

The Minister who has responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity hat back saying.

"This ‘nonsense’ needs to be called out," she said. 

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The Minister concluded by saying there were many good examples around the country of farmers who are driving forward with solutions and are ‘way ahead of the curve’.