Sir, – As negotiations continue to devise the first post-Brexit EU budget, there is much talk about the cuts to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to farmers in Ireland and elsewhere.
Some of the reasons given for these cuts are so that funds can be diverted toward tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Paying farmers to help conserve the rural environment and to move to a just transition appears to be a laudable objective.
However, it is also reported that some of the CAP budget will be diverted to build up Europe’s military capability – in other words to move money from food to weapons.
And if the EU is serious about tackling climate change then surely, developing more weapons and preparing for war – one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions – is not the direction to go.
And what is the Government’s view on this choice of priorities? It is quite happy with it, if we are to judge by its silence.
Let’s hope farmers have other priorities.
The world needs bread not bombs! – Yours, etc,
JOE MURRAY,
Afri – Action from Ireland,
Dublin 7.