Food for thought at Crawford

Artists, activists and farmers will come together in the Crawford Art Gallery next week to discuss issues surrounding Ireland’s food security.

Hosted by food activist and artist Lisa Fingleton, Locavore: Brexit, Covid, Ukraine and Irish Food Security, will take place on 25 August with members of the Irish Farmer’s Association (IFA) and smallholder’s union Talamh Beo taking part.

The event comes as the war in Ukraine continues to threaten the international supply of commodities like fertiliser, wheat and sunflower oil.

Although Ireland is ranked amongst the top countries in the world for food security, UN data shows that Ireland has been a net importer of foods since 2000.

Ms Fingleton maintains that calculating food security on a calorific basis alone without looking at what foods are available “does not give a complete picture of what is on our plates”.

She said: “This year in particular, in Europe we are seeing the impact of war on food and the global reliance on Ukraine as an important wheat producer. This has shown us more than ever just how fragile our food systems are. We need to focus on building sustainable and resilient food systems on the island of Ireland.”

Locavore: Brexit, Covid, Ukraine and Irish Food Security takes place at the Crawford Art Gallery next Thursday from 6pm. All are welcome to attend.