Bishop Martin Hayes 
Chai Brady and Brandon Scott
Farmers must be supported in their transition to more sustainable farming methods and the fact consumers want food as cheap as possible must be addressed, according to the bishop of Kilmore diocese.
Bishop Martin Hayes, who attended COP26 in Glasgow and is the episcopal coordinator for Laudato Si’ – the Pope’s encyclical on the environment – told The Irish Catholic farming has become “a controversial issue”.
“We have to produce food, but we as consumers want food as cheap as possible. So we’re not going to pay farmers for the cost of producing food in either the developed world or the developing world. That needs to be addressed,” Bishop Hayes said.
Farming in Ireland is “such a sensitive issue”, he said and because of this it’s not spoken about despite it needing to be.
“There must be a just transition for farmers as well. Just transition is this policy whereby you support people who have to give up their livelihood to survive,” according to Bishop Hayes, who added: “For example, when mines were closed there had to be something done to ensure miners’ employment and their future and their livelihood. With farming, people have to be helped and supported by the state to diversify into other areas so that people are not totally reliant on one type of farming.”
Speaking of the UN climate summit, COP26, the bishop said he attended side events in Glasgow which included inter-faith gatherings. He said it was “recognised generally that environmental groups and Faith groups have had an impact upon the politicians”.
Bishop Hayes said there have been significant commitments made at COP26 and “there is a sense of hope arising from the negotiations”.
He added that Trócaire were also present in Glasgow and were “advocating in the background” and that the charity has its own Laudato Si’ office and “their initiatives, ideas and ventures need to be built upon so that people can become familiar with Laudato Si’ and then act accordingly”.
