The green movement has some soul searching to do.

The green movement has some soul searching to do. It’s an uphill battle if people do not feel you are on their side, or that you are always on their backs rather than have their backs. 

If delivering for the environment is constantly perceived as a negative, something that is irrelevant or unaffordable for communities and families, or that decreases the economic prosperities of a sector, then the battle will continue to be all uphill, and may be already lost. 

The reality is that not many people or sectors make change for the common good. And with the economy now so central in the decisions made by governments and by individuals, many environmental asks now seem hopelessly out of reach. Yet, here we are again, on the cusp of an economy ready to burst at the seams, with our collective heads in the sand. 

Many environmentalists will lament the sharp and continued attention on the twists, turns and u-turns of Trump and his tariffs, a blunt focus on the economy which has sidelined discourse on other ‘irritating’ aspects such as the health of our planet. But really, this should be an opportunity to highlight how working even harder to deliver on environmental outcomes will deliver for healthier, more resilient and strengthened economies into the future. 

Take, for example, the future of agriculture. Often portrayed as the bad boy in class from an environmental perspective, agriculture is intrinsic to Irish society, economy, and of course our natural world. Irish landscapes have been formed by thousands of years of agricultural activity; in many cases without much concern for climate or biodiversity or water quality, which we’ve known for some time is in need of swift repair.

But even within this challenging sector there are signs of resilience. For example, organic farmers were insulated from the huge jump in fertiliser prices following the Russian war on Ukraine. We see how farms growing multi-species swards are more resilient in the face of drought, and how those following real regenerative farming practices are saving money, while delivering for nature on their farms. There are many examples of how farming with nature can build the economic resilience Irish farmers will need in the years and decades ahead – from silvopasture to using native breeds of livestock.

But sadly, little of that matters for many organisations within Irish and European agriculture, the ones who would wilfully remove regulations, and continue to strip the natural environment to keep profit margins high. 

And the current leadership in Irish agriculture is unwilling to embrace what is needed to secure the economic future for tens of thousands of Irish farmers – because the current leadership does not have the vision, nor the ambition to change, and because they still see protecting the environment as a threat and not an opportunity. And while that view continues, we will never have progress on building real economic resilience in agriculture.

Discussions have now turned to the future of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which is due for renewal in Jan 2028, and accounts for about 25% of the total EU budget (it was about 70% in 1980). Genuine fears exist about a further reduced CAP budget, especially in the light of EU commitments on defence spending, and the impacts of the trade tariffs from the US. The taxpayers’ purse is only so large.

There are growing calls from many for the CAP to “return to its roots”. But let’s flash back to 1962 when this common approach to agriculture was first agreed in this post World War II era. The CAP was introduced to increase agricultural activity, ensure a fair standard of living for farmers, guarantee the availability of supplies, stabilise the market, establish a secure supply chain with reasonable prices, and to harmonise competition rules. All very worthy, and at the time very necessary economic aspirations, but with little consideration for the impact on nature and society. 

Around the same time, the regrettably named ‘Green Revolution’ was kicking off across the world, and the vastly increased use of technology, fertilisers and pesticides enabled us to produce more food than ever before, which more than doubled the world’s population in 50 years. Again, many of the impacts on society and environment were not fully appreciated until later – impacts that have had, and will continue to have, detrimental impacts on this planet and its people. 

Since 1960, Western Europe has lost a staggering 10 million farms or so, that’s more than two thirds of family farms wiped out over the course of 60 years. Ireland is no different. Returning the CAP to its roots would be a disastrous decision and would lock Europe and Ireland into a dismal future, with increased reliance on imported, costly and environmentally harming inputs, at the expense of our planetary life support system.

The future must be different, and next CAP must strive to insulate European agriculture from volatile and challenging global economics. We do that by harnessing the power of nature and working with the land, not by supporting industries and activities which further damage this fragile planet. 

We need to work harder at building economic resilience through nature and society – at making Green work. This approach will not suit everyone’s agenda, but we need brave policy makers who are willing to stand up to the status quo, because there are vested interests involved, and a lot of people make a lot of money off the backs of farmers across Ireland and Europe. 

But it is the farmers and the land they cultivate, that must be put front and centre in the next CAP. And only by ensuring true economic resilience through ecologically progressive systems, will we start to rebuild the fragile ecosystems upon which all life on earth depends. 

Published in the Sunday Times July 13th 2025