Tynwald Endorses Food Security and Agricultural Strategies

The Isle of Man’s parliament has endorsed a new agricultural strategy that includes a goal to decrease food imports by 10%. Tynwald was informed that the Food Security Plan 2024 and the Agricultural Strategy 2024 are designed “to strengthen the island’s food systems and support its farming community”. According to Environment, food and agriculture minister Clare Barber, “both documents are vital to the Isle of Man’s future”. During the same week, Tynwald also received an updated energy strategy detailing the island’s plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The food security plan sets objectives to reduce food imports, minimise waste, improve local food infrastructure, and expand on-island food storage capacity. Barber expressed her “confidence” that the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) could achieve these targets using its current budgets. Additionally, a food literacy programme for all ages is proposed, alongside a mentorship programme for new or diversifying food businesses. The agricultural strategy further highlights the significance of local food production in attaining “economic resilience”. This document is characterized as fostering “innovation, climate-smart practices, and the financial stability of key infrastructure such as the abattoir, creamery, and flour mill”. MHK Jason Moorhouse stated that his “key concern is that there is insufficient focus on full-time commercial farms”. He raised questions regarding the direct correlation between the food security strategy’s aim for a 10% increase in local food production and the agricultural strategy’s target to reduce imports by 10%, as well as whether such a reduction in imports could result in a food shortfall. MHK Chris Thomas expressed concerns about the absence of an accompanying budget, citing a farmer who commented that the documents “might be a waste of time because of a lack of resources to deliver any of it”. Lawrie Hooper also indicated a desire for more specific numerical details within the strategies. Concurrently, the Energy Strategy 2024 provides an update on the Tynwald-approved 2023 plan, detailing progress achieved over the past 12 months in crucial sectors like offshore energy, the home energy scheme, and the technology “roadmap” aimed at fulfilling net-zero targets.