Food for Thought
Agri Aware’s Food for Thought campaign aims to bring you the latest news that is impacting the agricultural sector in Ireland with facts, insights, opinions and much more…
Our goal
Agriculture is an ever evolving sector and in Ireland its value is crucial both from an economic, social and environmental viewpoint.
Irish farmers play a crucial role in giving Ireland the name it has in terms of the food it produces nationally and globally.
However, the production of food is never straightforward and with it comes a lot of rules and regulations that can and will have an impact on the ability of Ireland’s 135,000 plus farmers to produce the food we come to enjoy every single day.
Agri Aware’s Food for Thought campaign aims to bring you, the consumer, the latest news, information and opinions on what is shaping the future of Irish agriculture and food production, particularly the challenges Irish farmers face at local and national level with regards to policies and regulations.
On Friday, January 9th, 2026, European Union member states approved a Mercosur trade agreement with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, although it still requires the backing of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The Irish Government voted against the deal in its current form, with senior Cabinet figures insisting that negotiations have not yet been finalised.
Ireland was one of five EU countries along with France, Austria, Hungary and Poland to oppose the agreement at a meeting in Brussels. Twenty member states voted in favour, while Belgium abstained, allowing the deal to pass with a qualified majority of at least 15 member states representing a minimum of 65% of the EU population.
On Saturday, January 10th, thousands of farmers gathered for a rolling tractor protest as part of a national demonstration and rally in Athlone against the EU–Mercosur deal.
The protests have highlighted farmers’ concerns that, if passed, the agreement would allow beef produced to standards below those of the EU to enter the market. The deal would also significantly reduce tariffs on the importation of up to 99,000 tonnes of beef from Mercosur countries. Farmers warn that the resulting price distortion could have a severe impact on their livelihoods and the wider agricultural sector.
Latest on the EU-Mercosur Trade Deal
On January 15th, Agri Aware will host its inaugural industry event for patrons titled, ‘Food for Thought Industry Briefing’.
This networking event is an exciting and important opportunity to bring industry together to hear the latest insights on the policies, trade shifts and environmental priorities shaping the Irish agri-food sector today.
Topics such as the Mercosur Trade Deal, the Common Agricultural Policy and the Nitrates Derogation will be discussed.
This event will hear from experts including Tadhg Buckley of the IFA, Ksenija Simovic of COPA COGECA, Kevin Maher of Ibec and Phelim O’Neill of the Irish Farmers Journal on a variety of topics that are dominating the headlines in the media and beyond.
Upcoming industry event
The Mercosur trade deal is a trade pact between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). The agreement aims to advance trade by cutting tariffs and expanding market access for both regions.
With the agreement, the EU will remove tariffs on 92% of imports from Mercosur countries over the course of up to 10 years. However, high-value goods like beef, pork, poultry, and sugar will be subject to specific tariff rate quotas (TRQs).
In the video, below Agri Aware’s Marcus O’Halloran and Fiona Treacy explain what the Mercosur Trade Deal is, what affect it will have on Irish farmers and the shocking discovery about the production of beef from Brazil, a country in the Mercosur bloc.
What is the Mercosur Trade Deal?
Views on Mercosur Trade Deal from the general pubic
In November, Agri Aware took to the streets of Dublin to discover the views and thoughts of consumers on the contentious Mercosur Trade Deal and if the potential of cheaper cuts of beef would entice consumers to purchase these cheaper options or continue to buy locally produced Irish beef. Check out what was said!
Views on the Mercosur Trade Deal from students with Newstalk
Recently, in collaboration with Newstalk, Agri Aware visited Wesley College in Ballinteer, Co. Dublin to get the views of students on the Mercosur Trade Deal and on agriculture and food production in general.
Newstalk’s Josh Crosbie who spoke to students of Wesley College, the agricultural science teacher Iain Wallace and Executive Director of Agri Aware Marcus O’Halloran.
