ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the changes in Irish farming arising from Ireland's membership of the EU, which has been critical in providing financial supports for a majority of units unable to survive from returns from agriculture alone. The European model of a multifunctional agriculture delivering public goods as well as food is one that appears increasingly at variance with the Irish model of productivism. The chapter explores that there has been something of a resistance to diversification by Irish farmers, with the majority preferring to pursue off-farm employment rather than engage in farm level value-added activities. Food Harvest 2020 was developed by the production and processing sectors of the Irish agri-food industry as a strategy through which to achieve ambitious targets for a range of commodities. One of the main sources of funding for the management of biodiversity and water quality in Irish agriculture is through agri-environment schemes (AES) which are funded under Axis 2 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP).
