Ireland has no option but to use its upcoming presidency of the European Union to put the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) back on track.

And, at a very fundamental level, this means putting food security back at the very centre of European debate.

Two existential threats now confront world order: the war in Ukraine; and the escalating violence in the Persian Gulf.

Both have the potential of significantly impacting the world’s ability to produce food.

And, given these circumstances, it seems very obvious that Europe should switch its immediate focus to that of maximising the food that can be produced from its own resources.

In practical terms, this means incentivising farmers accordingly and fully recognising that countries like Ireland have the potential to significantly increase indigenous food production levels.

And all of this can be achieved on a sustainable basis.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Making it happen, however, will require someone to take on an ambassadorial role.

And this person has to be Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

Moreover, he has a true role model to follow with this endeavour in mind: his party colleague and former agriculture minister: Simon Coveney.

Thirteen years ago, the Cork man individually dragged an entire CAP reform process over the line while espousing the fundamental principle that the scope of production agriculture must be allowed to expand on a sustainable basis.

And this is very much a case of the planets re-aligning themselves for Minister Heydon as Ireland last hosted the presidency of the EU back in 2013.

Farm efficiency

Almost a decade and a half later, a plethora of new technologies have arrived to make this assertion both relevant and wholly attainable.

Meanwhile, the speed of change continues to evolve.

It is universally recognised that improvements in farm efficiency drive all aspects of agricultural production, including the impact made by the industry on the environment.

So, yes, it is possible to drive for higher levels of food output while still enhancing conservation standards.

Recent times have seen European leaders talk about the need for them to increase defence: that’s code for the manufacture and procurement of more weapons of war.

But surely it should be pointed out to these people that investing in greater levels of food security is the most fundamental ‘defence-related’ investment decision that they can ever make.

Making this happen will a significant upping in the level of funding made available for the CAP.

Perhaps, this is the opening gambit Minister Heydon should employ when he sits down with his European agriculture minister colleagues for the first time at the beginning of July under the auspices of Ireland’s EU presidency.