Submission to the Consumer Strategy Group
_July 2004
Asking the Consumer Strategy Group to accept our Policy Recommendations as a National Priority In order to Provide Irish consumers with Greater Access to and Freedom of Choice in Food
3.0 TASTE Council Recommendations for Consumer Policy
3.1 Aim
To Provide Irish consumers with Greater Access to and Freedom of Informed Choice in Food.
3.2 Strategies
3.3 Strategy 1 – Actively support alternative routes to market to enhance
consumer access to freedom of choice in food.
3.4 Strategy 2 – Develop Ireland’s artisan food skills to enhance
consumer freedom of choice.
3.5 Strategy 3 – Foster an entrepreneurial culture in local, artisan and
speciality food to enhance consumer freedom of choice
3.6 Strategy 4 - Invest in educating thepublic in Ireland regarding Irish
local, artisan and speciality food, to promote informed consumer choice.
Strategies Explained
Strategy 1 Actively Support Alternative Routes to Market to Enhance Consumer Access to Freedom of Choice in Food.
The Government should as a national priority actively support alternative routes to market for local, artisan and speciality food as a balance to long food chains in the interest of promoting free consumer choice and access to free consumer choice.
(a) Independent Retailers
In particular supports should be reviewed for independently owned town based food retailers and restaurants who can control 100% of their purchasing choices and favour small local suppliers.
(b) Farmers Markets
Farmers markets should be actively supported and enabled by national and local government and food safety implementers.
(c) CSA Schemes
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes akin to those of the USA and the UK should be incentivised and proactively developed through the network of Leader and local partnerships in particular with the aim of providing poorer members of society with direct access to healthy, fresh local farm foods.
Other direct to consumer schemes including box schemes should be supported
(d) Local Sourcing by Multiple Retailers
Local sourcing by individual stores in their local areas within the multiple retail trade should be actively encouraged by Bord Bia and local Leader groups.
This includes a retention and extension of the groceries order and the cap size on retail outlets.
Strategy 2 Develop Ireland’s artisan food skills to enhance consumer freedom of choice.
An artisan food apprenticeship scheme for producers and retailers in Ireland needs urgent development in order to protect, spread and enhance our artisan food skill base in practice, which in turn enhances freedom of choice for consumers in food.
Strategy 3 Foster an entrepreneurial culture in local, artisan and
speciality food to enhance consumer freedom of choice
New start-ups need to be motivated in the area of authentic Irish foods particularly from the farm level up in the interests of extending consumer choice in food.
EHO training in authentic food production by category is crucial in ensuring relevant and consistent interpretation of the regulations across the various food safety implementers to support the development of authentic foods which in turn results in enhanced consumer choice.
The TASTE Council recommends a review of regulation of small food businesses along the six principles of the Government’s White Paper on Better Regulation in the interests of enhanced consumer choice.
Strategy 4 - Invest in educating the public in Ireland regarding Irish
local, artisan and speciality food, to promote informed consumer choice.
The education curriculum regarding food at the Pre School, Primary and Secondary level should be reviewed and a set of recommendations should be made regarding curriculum enhancements around the understanding of local and artisan food.
Specific extra curricular schemes/projects should be developed in particular for the 6-11 year old category. One example would be the introduction of growing an edible garden for harvesting, cooking and tasting in schools.
All university/college and adult education courses in food should be researched and a plan for the development and implementation of out reach modules for regional expansion should be developed.
These education enhancements would result in more informed food choices for Irish consumers.
Asking the Consumer Strategy Group to accept our Policy Recommendations as a National Priority In order to Provide Irish consumers with Greater Access to and Freedom of Choice in Food
3.0 TASTE Council Recommendations for Consumer Policy
3.1 Aim
To Provide Irish consumers with Greater Access to and Freedom of Informed Choice in Food.
3.2 Strategies
3.3 Strategy 1 – Actively support alternative routes to market to enhance
consumer access to freedom of choice in food.
3.4 Strategy 2 – Develop Ireland’s artisan food skills to enhance
consumer freedom of choice.
3.5 Strategy 3 – Foster an entrepreneurial culture in local, artisan and
speciality food to enhance consumer freedom of choice
3.6 Strategy 4 - Invest in educating thepublic in Ireland regarding Irish
local, artisan and speciality food, to promote informed consumer choice.
Strategies Explained
Strategy 1 Actively Support Alternative Routes to Market to Enhance Consumer Access to Freedom of Choice in Food.
The Government should as a national priority actively support alternative routes to market for local, artisan and speciality food as a balance to long food chains in the interest of promoting free consumer choice and access to free consumer choice.
(a) Independent Retailers
In particular supports should be reviewed for independently owned town based food retailers and restaurants who can control 100% of their purchasing choices and favour small local suppliers.
(b) Farmers Markets
Farmers markets should be actively supported and enabled by national and local government and food safety implementers.
(c) CSA Schemes
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes akin to those of the USA and the UK should be incentivised and proactively developed through the network of Leader and local partnerships in particular with the aim of providing poorer members of society with direct access to healthy, fresh local farm foods.
Other direct to consumer schemes including box schemes should be supported
(d) Local Sourcing by Multiple Retailers
Local sourcing by individual stores in their local areas within the multiple retail trade should be actively encouraged by Bord Bia and local Leader groups.
This includes a retention and extension of the groceries order and the cap size on retail outlets.
Strategy 2 Develop Ireland’s artisan food skills to enhance consumer freedom of choice.
An artisan food apprenticeship scheme for producers and retailers in Ireland needs urgent development in order to protect, spread and enhance our artisan food skill base in practice, which in turn enhances freedom of choice for consumers in food.
Strategy 3 Foster an entrepreneurial culture in local, artisan and
speciality food to enhance consumer freedom of choice
New start-ups need to be motivated in the area of authentic Irish foods particularly from the farm level up in the interests of extending consumer choice in food.
EHO training in authentic food production by category is crucial in ensuring relevant and consistent interpretation of the regulations across the various food safety implementers to support the development of authentic foods which in turn results in enhanced consumer choice.
The TASTE Council recommends a review of regulation of small food businesses along the six principles of the Government’s White Paper on Better Regulation in the interests of enhanced consumer choice.
Strategy 4 - Invest in educating the public in Ireland regarding Irish
local, artisan and speciality food, to promote informed consumer choice.
The education curriculum regarding food at the Pre School, Primary and Secondary level should be reviewed and a set of recommendations should be made regarding curriculum enhancements around the understanding of local and artisan food.
Specific extra curricular schemes/projects should be developed in particular for the 6-11 year old category. One example would be the introduction of growing an edible garden for harvesting, cooking and tasting in schools.
All university/college and adult education courses in food should be researched and a plan for the development and implementation of out reach modules for regional expansion should be developed.
These education enhancements would result in more informed food choices for Irish consumers.