All available data shows that our battle to prevent the upcoming obesity crisis is failing spectacularly. It’s a huge task and the funding for this area has been disproportionately small relative to its significance in both human and financial terms. At least 2,000 premature deaths a year in Ireland are being attributed to obesity, and the cost to the State is estimated at €4 billion per year. And if we didn’t deal with it when we had the money to, then it’s highly unlikely that we’ll borrow now to fund the necessary measures. The fairest and most efficient way to kick start a sufficiently strong long-term flow of finance is to levy a tax on confectionery and fizzy drinks. Start at the most shameful end of the problem: childhood obesity. A project manager will be appointed to each school and co-ordinate and support the transition to healthy eating - that is, train existing catering staff, perhaps assist in appointing new staff, co-ordinate the involvement of a nutritionist in More...

Increasing exports of Irish food, crafts and tourism

An integrated, consumer friendly way to increase exports of Irish food, crafts, and tourism.

All available data shows that our battle to prevent the upcoming obesity crisis is failing spectacularly. It’s a huge task and the funding for this area has been disproportionately small relative to its significance in both human and financial terms. At least 2,000 premature deaths a year in Ireland are being attributed to obesity, and the cost to the State is estimated at €4 billion per year. And if we didn’t deal with it when we had the money to, then it’s highly unlikely that we’ll borrow now to fund the necessary measures. The fairest and most efficient way to kick start a sufficiently strong long-term flow of finance is to levy a tax on confectionery and fizzy drinks. Start at the most shameful end of the problem: childhood obesity. A project manager will be appointed to each school and co-ordinate and support the transition to healthy eating - that is, train existing catering staff, perhaps assist in appointing new staff, co-ordinate the involvement of a nutritionist in More...

Having identified imports of high value food produce which can be supplied locally with relatively modest investment and returns, this multiphase project in the first phase intends to increase yields and returns by the application of established research knowledge and marketing techniques applied elsewhere. It can be applied at sites throughout the country to create substantial, part time employment. As wealth is generated it will be invested to develop the green energy resources to transform seasonal suply to extended availability.

My idea is to promote food tourism in Ireland. Many countries around the world have a food tourism industry which is based on wine tours etc (e.g. Australia and New Zealand). Although Ireland is not known for wine it is known for beer (even though most of the beer in Irish pubs is foreign). I see huge potential around the country as it promotes local cottage industries and therefore encourages local employment and is better socially and environmentally.

In common with the rest of the business world, Irish industry seems to be obsessed with investing in a unique competitive advantage in order to maintain market share. Aside from being sustainable and profitable, that investment must also create an experience that is capable of being displayed by the consumer in a manner that increases personal status. This proposal argues that a ubiquitous aspect of human life, food, can easily be leveraged, utilising existing structures, to benefit not only the wider Irish economy, but also social and environmental aspects of Ireland. Food has natural competitive advantage, as others cannot easily replicate the origin when it is specific to both a location and a culture. Why do this? This is worth doing because there is a substantial economic, social and developmental rationale to argue for the viability and sustainability of a comprehensive and populist food industry in Ireland. It therefore becomes a very effective argument in convincing publ More...

The idea is to produce beer from milk - plain and simple. We are a small/medium milk producer from Kerry and have been watching as the milk price has been in freefall over the past 20 months or so with little or no signs of recovery. I have been sitting on this idea for about 4 years now as I first read about the idea in France - http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002684.php. http://lovebeeratborough.ning.com/profiles/blogs/milk-beer-dr-moo-lactiwel My father is thinking of retiring in 2/3 years and I am currently working as an IT manager with a multinational company among running my own IT business also. But deep down I am an entrepreneur at heart and want to give this business a real go. My brother is a business developer for Wines & spirits with an Irish distributor and thinks that this product could be an easy sale as the cost of production would be low but then the addition of duties/taxes would be an issue. The cost of setting up a micro-brewery from the UK is about More...

The proposals entered under the Agriculture & Food category of Your Country, Your Call give evidence of a remarkable level of consensus: the majority of proposals are pointing to avenues for developing the precious attributes of our agriculture which are natural, grass-based and environmentally friendly. The proposals, in various ways, are seeking to make progress towards the ultimate ends of increasing value-added and employment in the sector through economic activities that provide clean and green forms of energy; safe and nutritious food; and interactive leisure activities. What is more, the proposals represent an expression of our collective instinct in relation to what is socially, culturally and economically appropriate for our country’s agriculture. Reflecting on the range of proposals that have been submitted, the question arises as to why these avenues of developing agriculture have not already occurred? There is a range of reasons that has inhibited the development of our More...

The proposals entered under the Agriculture & Food category of Your Country, Your Call give evidence of a remarkable level of consensus: the majority of proposals are pointing to avenues for developing the precious attributes of our agriculture which are natural, grass-based and environmentally friendly. The proposals, in various ways, are seeking to make progress towards the ultimate ends of increasing value-added and employment in the sector through economic activities that provide clean and green forms of energy; safe and nutritious food; and interactive leisure activities. What is more, the proposals represent an expression of our collective instinct in relation to what is socially, culturally and economically appropriate for our country’s agriculture. Reflecting on the range of proposals that have been submitted, the question arises as to why these avenues of developing agriculture have not already occurred? There is a range of reasons that has inhibited the development of our More...