The issue of corporate land acquisition was discussed at a high level meeting in Brussels on Monday, 24th March organised by MEP Cynthia Ni Murchu. Irish delegates Daniel and Tom Long from Cahir met with the heads of DG AGRI (Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development) and MEP’s Ciaran Mullooly and Michael McNamara.
Pictured following their meeting in Brussels on Monday, 24th March were, from left: Dr Andrew Madigan SETU,Tom Long, Daniel Long, Michael McNamara MEP, Almudena Garcia Sastre, EU Policy and Advocacy Officer.
The topics discussed included generational renewal, access to land and the buying up of farms by investment companies and wealthy individuals, the so-called ‘New Landlords’.
The background to the meeting is increasing concern in Europe and worldwide at the relentless trend of investment banks, financial institutions and other mega wealthy buyers turning land into debt instruments, financial derivatives and carbon offsets.
This is leading to the commodification of carbon, biodiversity, water rights and related processes all leading to the displacement of local landowners and farm families who are priced out of the land market by inflated prices and ‘land grabs’.
Daniel and Tom met with leaders of the main pillars of DG AGRI and had the opportunity to raise local examples of these issues including rampant land acquisition by billionaire investors in Tipperary.
Daniel is co- founder of the Irish Land Observatory Stakeholders Group which is lobbying for a mechanism to monitor and limit this trend in Ireland.
He referenced the recent Hedgerows Ireland protest outside Parkville farm in Clonmel where local farmers and residents highlighted the purchase of a family farm by John Magnier of Coolmore Stud at €38,000 per acre, a price which proved completely unaffordable to local bidders and illustrates a marked trend in land purchase in Tipperary and beyond in recent years.
Daniel’s group hopes to be successful in a bid to host an Irish pilot Land Observatory in collaboration with the Access to Land Europe group who were also represented at the Brussels meeting.
The concept of a Land Observatory is not new and a system in France called SAFER has been in existence since the 1960’s which protects farmland from speculation and also helps farmers to acquire land they could not otherwise afford. More recently its remit has been expanded to protect the environment and its rich biodiversity.
The EU has recently recommended the adoption of a Land Observatory by member states in a 2024 Strategic Dialogue summary on the future of EU agriculture
Speaking after the Brussels meeting Daniel said: “The DG AGRI was very interested in our local experience and there is a real prospect of an Irish Land Observatory pilot getting off the ground with the help of pressure from our MEP’s and the identifying of an academic institution to oversee the venture.”
A follow up meeting with DG AGRI on April 10 is planned.