EU rules on food safety should be "risk-based" to ensure small food producers are not put out of business, according to the chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dr Patrick Wall.
While there should be no compromise on safety, current EU regulations should not "be akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut". However the problems faced by artisanal producers were far more complex than simply adhering to safety regulations, Dr Wall said, following talks with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuiv.
"Food villages", the growth of the Slow Food Movement (see panel) and support for local markets - akin to the French system of markets run by municipalities - are some of the proposals being looked at by Mr Ó Cuiv's office in consultation with the FSAI, An Bord Bia and other related agencies.
Mr Ó Cuiv, who holds the rural development brief, believes there is "huge potential" for small food producers in rural areas. However, he is concerned about the barriers which are forcing more and more small players out of business.
Some of these barriers were identified in a presentation to Mr Ó Cuiv by Mr Michael Gleeson, a rural resource worker with the west Clare organisation, Eirí Corca Baiscin.
A study undertaken by his organisation of the local food economy in the county showed that there was a perception that many of the regulations governing the industry were designed for production at a large-scale "industrial" level.
Mr Gleeson said if small food producers in Co Clare cornered just 5 per cent of the county's food market, it would inject approximately €10 million directly into its economy. A survey he had conducted of tourists in Clare showed that they were prepared to pay a premium of up to 20 per cent for local produce, Mr Gleeson added.
However, the purchaser often had difficulty in identifying whether an item was locally produced.The willingness of the majority of consumers to pay more to guarantee food traceability, as well as safety, was also reflected in a recent Agri-Aware survey, which found that 72.2 per cent of consumers were in this category.
Consumers' interests may not be best served by the demise of the artisanal and traditional food producers, according to a study of the sector by the FSAI, An Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture and Food. It was conducted after criticism of the regulations at an international speciality food symposium in Kinsale, Co Cork, last year.
The survey of those at the symposium found that 87.8 per cent of small food producers identified serious burdens to their survival and growth including regulations, distribution, building a brand, building a production facility and insurance.
A key finding showed that 63.2 per cent did not find food regulations difficult to comply with, but 42.9 per cent considered that food safety regulations were not proportional to the risks associated with their products. Some 85.9 per cent of producers said that food safety regulations protected their goodwill and 82.6 per cent said regulations helped them to achieve the standards set by the multiples.
It is estimated that just over 60 per cent of small producers supply to supermarkets.
