Death by stealth.
We are sleep walking our way to ill health by ignoring the demise of the small farmer
The demise of the small farmer.
The decline in traditional vegetable production in North County Dublin over the last 50 years has been driven by many things, economic pressures, changing land use, and ageing farmer demographics. This decline has impacted local culture, food security, and community cohesion.
The rise of large multiples (supermarkets) has been the major force that exacerbated these issues by creating market conditions that exclude small scale producers in favour of factory farms and imports, all driven by the hunger for profit.
This dominance of supermarkets has led to increased competition, price pressures, and changes in consumer preferences, further challenging the viability of traditional vegetable farming in the area.
And the Question is, SO WHAT?
In an almost Orwellian way, we have accept a system that we believe is to our benefit. We crave the convenience of the multiple where we can find everything we need at a perceived low cost. We are told that the food offered to us is local and this perception is driven home by clever manipulation of rules.
Catchy trade names on products to make them appear of Irish origin is common practice. Labelling products as packed in Ireland is another way of driving home the perception of local.
We are also lead to believe that we are protected by legislation, that our food is clean and poses no risk to us. Labels from approving bodies are displayed with slogans that disguise a lurking danger.
The EEA (European Environment Agency) have banned or restricted a plethora of once commonly used pesticides, herbicides and insecticides from use within the union.
This guarantees us that we will not be poisoned by the food we eat, DOESN’T IT?
List of commonly purchased fruit and vegetables and their derivatives, of non-EU origin appearing on Supermarket Shelves in North Co Dublin in the first week of August 2024
(Source CSO)
- Scallions: Imported from Mexico.
- Potatoes: Imported from Egypt and Israel.
- Lettuce: Imports come from the USA, particularly during winter.
- French Beans: imported from Kenya and Morocco.
- Tomatoes: Imported from Morocco.
- Baby Leaf Salads: Imports from the USA and Israel
- Carrots: Imported from Israel.
- Beetroot: Imported from Israel.
- Leeks: Imported from Egypt.
- Cabbage: Imported from Morocco and Egypt.
- Cauliflower: Imported from Morocco and Egypt.
- Broccoli: Imported from the USA and Morocco.
- Strawberries: Imported from Egypt and Israel
- Apples: Imported from South Africa and New Zealand.
List of chemicals banned or restricted in EU but still in use in some or all of these importing countries
Insecticides
- Cypermethrin
- Use: Control of various insects in crops.
- Health Risk: Can cause respiratory issues, and neurotoxicity. Chronic exposure may affect the central nervous system.
- Sources: Cypermethrin Toxicity
- Lambda-cyhalothrin
- Use: Pest control in agriculture.
- Health Risk: May cause skin and eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and long-term exposure can affect the nervous system.
- Sources: Lambda-cyhalothrin Information
- Imidacloprid
- Use: Control of sucking insects in crops.
- Health Risk: Potential neurotoxin affecting the central nervous system, with symptoms including dizziness and confusion. Also associated with negative impacts on bees and other pollinators.
- Sources: Imidacloprid Toxicity
Pesticides
- Glyphosate/Round-Up/Gallup.
- Use: Broad-spectrum herbicide used for weed control.
- Health Risk: Classified by the IARC as “probably carcinogenic to humans”, with potential links to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Other risks include eye and skin irritation.
- Sources: Glyphosate Health Effects
- Chlorothalonil
- Use: Fungicide to protect crops from fungal diseases.
- Health Risk: Classified as a possible human carcinogen, with risks of kidney and liver damage upon prolonged exposure. Can cause eye and skin irritation.
- Sources: Chlorothalonil Toxicity
- 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid)
- Use: Control of broadleaf weeds in cereals and grassland.
- Health Risk: Potential endocrine disruptor, linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and can cause skin and respiratory irritation.
- Sources: 2,4-D Health Information
Herbicides
- MCPA (2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid)
- Use: Widely used for broadleaf weed control in cereals and grassland.
- Health Risk: Can cause skin and eye irritation, and is proven to affect the liver and kidneys.
- Sources: MCPA Toxicity
- Dicamba
- Use: Management of broadleaf weeds and woody plants.
- Health Risk: Possible carcinogen, can cause skin and eye irritation, and respiratory issues.
- Sources: Dicamba Health Effects
- Fluroxypyr
- Use: Control of various broadleaf weed species.
- Health Risk: Can cause skin and eye irritation, and potential reproductive toxicity.
- Sources: Fluroxypyr Information
SHOCKING FACT: All of the fruits and vegetables listed above are easily grown in Ireland and are in season right now. Indeed Bare Acre Farm grow many of them, and those we do not grow we purchase from the rapidly shrinking number of local growers that have managed to survive.
