Ireland’s pathway to sustainable food systems

A bold strategic move for a positive industrial transformation.

In an era of converging global challenges—climate crisis, biodiversity loss, public health concerns, and economic inequality—governments are under growing pressure to rethink policy strategies beyond traditional silos.

In the February 2024 editorial on triple transition and corporate responsibility, the necessity to act in order to master the challenges of a European successful industrial transition at the intersection of economic, environmental and social considerations has been clearly highlighted. 

Several ongoing Interreg Europe projects are addressing those challenges. Amongst them is ORIGINN, addressing economic and social transformation in rural areas through industrial innovation, with an emphasis on the agri-food sector.

In this project, 7 partners are focusing on economic and social transformation in rural areas, and have already collected several good practices showing the way forward. One of those is the Food Vision 2030: Ireland’s integrated systems approach for a sustainable agri-food sector. Ireland’s Food Vision 2030, the latest in a series of ten-year stakeholder-led strategies, offers a compelling blueprint for this transition, not just for agri-food systems but for policy-making more broadly.  

A new vision rooted in systems thinking 

Launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Strategy represents a paradigm shift toward an integrated “food systems approach.” Its ambition: to deliver a sustainable agri-food sector that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially inclusive.

Yet what makes Food Vision 2030 particularly noteworthy is not only its comprehensive vision, but also its innovative governance and monitoring mechanisms, developed without associated public funding. 

At the heart of Food Vision 2030 is a commitment to transition Ireland’s agri-food sector into a model of sustainable development. Its foundational idea is that food policy must be treated as a system—one that connects agriculture, climate, environment, nutrition, animal welfare, and economic competitiveness. 

The Strategy is structured around four interlinked Missions: 

• A climate-smart, environmentally sustainable agri-food sector. This mission has an overall target of achieving a climate-neutral food system by 2050 and commits to halving food waste, enhancing carbon sequestration, and reducing emissions, aligning with Ireland’s climate targets and biodiversity goals. 

• Viable and resilient primary producers with enhanced well-being. Farmers and fishermen are central to the transition. This mission aims to improve the competitiveness and productivity of primary producers, increase the creation of value and distribute it fairly and includes supports for generational renewal, mental health initiatives, gender balance, health and safety and income diversification strategies. 

• Food that is safe, nutritious, and trusted. Focusing on trade, consumer trust and market value, this mission aims to improve nutritional profiles, strengthen food safety systems, and boost traceability across the chain. 

• An innovative, competitive, and resilient sector. Technological adoption, digital transformation, and talent development are key themes of this mission, intended to drive long-term competitiveness and export growth. 

Rather than prescribe sector-specific fixes, Food Vision 2030 positions itself as a policy compass, guiding decision-making at both national and regional levels. Its cross-cutting structure breaks down barriers between departments and state agencies. 

A model of participatory governance 

What sets Food Vision 2030 apart from many other strategic frameworks is its governance and implementation model. While it is a national strategy, it is not backed by a dedicated funding mechanism. Its legitimacy and momentum come from another source: inclusive, multi-stakeholder collaboration. 

From its inception, the strategy was stakeholder-led. A cross-sectoral committee involving farmers’ organisations, environmental NGOs, processors, academics, and civil society through public consultation and open policy debate played a central role in drafting the strategy.

This consensus-based approach ensured that the final document reflected diverse values and trade-offs, critical in a sector often marked by polarised debates. 

The implementation structure is similarly inclusive. It comprises a number of thematic working groups, each focusing on a mission area or cross-cutting theme. These groups are tasked with proposing, reviewing, and adapting measures as the strategy evolves.

They report directly to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who chairs a High-Level Implementation Committee, giving political weight to the process. 

Transparency and accountability are ensured through a publicly accessible dashboard, which tracks progress against key performance indicators. The Food Vision 2030 Dashboard provides ongoing updates on implementation metrics, offering a rare level of public insight into strategy execution. 

In addition, annual progress reports include sectoral case studies, showcasing how initiatives - from AgNav, a farmer-centric sustainability support framework, to the National Genotyping Programme - are contributing to the overall vision. These stories serve not just as evidence, but as inspiration for others within and beyond the agri-food space. 

Lessons beyond the food sector 

Food Vision 2030 stands out not just for what it proposes, but for how it operates. It demonstrates that meaningful, systems-level transformation is possible even in the absence of new funding streams, given that the governance model is inclusive, transparent, and grounded in shared ownership. 

For policymakers navigating the industrial transitions of the 21st century—whether in energy, mobility, or health—the strategy offers transferable lessons. Chief among them: embrace participatory design, build mechanisms for continuous monitoring and learning, and communicate progress openly.

As regional and national policy makers across Europe and beyond search for ways to integrate climate, economic, and social goals, Food Vision 2030 provides a living example of how to do just that. It is more than an agri-food strategy; it is a systems-based playbook for sustainable governance.