Food security among strategies backed by Tynwald

One plan aims to "support and grow" the agricultural sector over the next decade

Reducing food imports by 10% is among the targets in a new agricultural strategy backed by the Isle of Man’s parliament.

The Food Security Plan 2024 and the Agricultural Strategy 2024 aim "to strengthen the island’s food systems and support its farming community", Tynwald was told.

Environment, food and agriculture minister Clare Barber said that "both documents are vital to the Isle of Man’s future".

In the same week, Tynwald also received an updated energy strategy outlining the island’s route to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The food security plan includes targets to reduce food imports, minimise waste, enhance local food infrastructure and increase on-island food storage capacity.

Barber said she was "confident" that the targets could be delivered within the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA)’s existing budgets.

A food literacy programme for all ages is also proposed and a mentorship programme for new food businesses or those diversifying.

The agricultural strategy also emphasises the importance of local food production for achieving "economic resilience".

This document is described as promoting "innovation, climate-smart practices, and the financial stability of key infrastructure such as the abattoir, creamery, and flour mill".

'Lack of resources'

MHK Jason Moorhouse said his "key concern is that there is insufficient focus on full-time commercial farms".

He questioned how the food security strategy’s target of a 10% increase in local food production could directly correlate with the target to reduce imports by 10% in the agricultural strategy, and whether reducing imports by this figure would lead to a food shortfall.

MHK Chris Thomas raised concerns about the lack of an accompanying budget, referring to one farmer who said the documents "might be a waste of time because of a lack of resources to deliver any of it".

Lawrie Hooper also said he wanted to see more specific numbers in the strategies.

Meanwhile, the Energy Strategy 2024 serves as an update on the Tynwald-approved 2023 plan, outlining progress made over the last 12 months in key areas such as offshore energy, the home energy scheme and the technology "roadmap" to meeting the net-zero targets.