Should ‘massive subsidies’ for vegan food be the future of farming? 

According to the EPA, 37.8% of Ireland’s carbon emissions came from the agriculture sector last year.

However, the carbon footprint of meat is significantly higher than that of plant-based food - beef in particular produces high carbon emissions.

Speaking to Lunchtime Live, listener Dee in Kerry said as agriculture is already “massively subsidised”, it makes sense to use public money to incentivise people to choose the vegan option.

“Intensive farming is absolutely subsidised and you’ve all kinds of problems,” she said.

“Water pollution, exploitation of migrants, biodiversity loss, antibiotic resistance, animal abuse - all those things.”

Dee said introducing a new system to boost the production of vegan food should not be “not rocket science” and a“fairer playing field” is needed.

“I’d say tax breaks for using sustainable practices for plant-based producers,” she said.

“I mean taxpayers' money should be used to deliver benefits for taxpayers - shouldn’t it?

“There is this myth that [unless you eat] animals and dairy, you’ll die of malnutrition and rickets - all that stuff is not true.”

Lambs. Picture by: Soeren Stache/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB

Cavan farmer Thomas pointed out that under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy animal and arable farmers receive the same level of subsidy.

He also said many vegan options are not good for human health.

“That vegan burger and many of these ultra-processed foods are in fact not healthier for you than minimally processed animal-based protein,” he said.

“And very often they are not better for the environment either.

“So, we do need to have a conversation around that - we know that ultra-processed foods are very, very harmful.”

Dairy cows feeding at a dairy feed bunk in March 2005. Picture by: Steve Woit/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire

Thomas said people eat replace meat with vegan food have to be careful they that what they are eating instead is providing them with the correct nutrients.

He gave oat milk as an example, which he described as “massively deficient” in comparison to cow’s milk.

“I don’t know what, for instance, the ingredients in your vegan burgers would be,” he said.

“What’s the level of saturated fat? The issue is really to try and create an alternative to animal protein, very often we have to sacrifice nutritional quality.”

A 2021 survey by Bord Bia found 8% of Irish people are vegetarian and a further 2% are vegan.

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Main image: Crate filled with mixed fruit and veg. Picture by: Hayley Blackledge / Alamy Stock Photo