Ireland's UN SDGs 2019 - Report on Indicators for Goal 2 Zero Hunger

SDG 2.3.1 Volume of Production Per Labour Unit by Classes of Farming/Pastoral/Forestry Enterprise Size is sourced from the CSO, Farm Structure Survey (FSS).  These data are classified as Tier 2 in the Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators (See Background Notes).  Data in Tier 2 indicate data not regularly produced by countries.

The CSO's Agriculture Division estimated that the volume of production of farming per labour unit was 32.3 for 2016, based on the CSO's Farm Structure Survey (see Annex).  This estimate relates to small-scale food producers.  See Table 2.1. 

SDG 2.3.2 Average Income of Small-Scale Food Producers is estimated from the FSS data by the CSO, Agriculture Division.  These data are classified as Tier 2 in the Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators.

The CSO's Agriculture Division, using the FSS (See Annex), estimated that the average income of small-scale food producers in 2016 was €2,410.  See Table 2.2.

SDG 2.4.1 Proportion of Agricultural Area Under Productive and Sustainable Agriculture;  Eurostat SDG indicator SDG_02_40  'Area under Organic Farming' is used as a proxy for this indicator.  These data are classified as Tier 2 in the Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators.

The agricultural area under organic farming (which is used to indicate the Proportion of Agricultural Area Under Productive and Sustainable Agriculture) rose from 0.7% in 2001 to 2.6% by 2018.  See Table 2.3.

SDG 2.5.1 Number of Plant and Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Secured in Either Medium or Long-Term Conservation Facilities was sourced from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).  These data are classified as Tier 2 in the Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) there are now 1,721 Irish accessions on the EURISCO database which includes plant accessions in various different Irish genebanks.  Earlier this year (March 2020) an additional 290 accessions have been uploaded to EURISCO and it is expected that another upload will take place in Q4 2020.

The Irish accessions are stored in a number of genebanks namely: DAFM, Backweston (mainly cereal, vegetables and crop wild relatives); Teagasc Oakpark (mainly grasses and clovers); DAFM, Tops, Raphoe (potatoes); and Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA), an Non-Governmental Organisation based in Scarriff, Co. Clare.  The ISSA are funded by DAFM to conduct various tasks including maintenance of the National Irish Apple Collection.  The majority of the 290 accessions that were recently uploaded to EURISCO were apples with a few pear accessions also included.  This is a field genebank and not refrigerated but is a form of long term storage so hence will be included in the next return for 2020.

There are three cattle breeds being conserved long term in a national genebank - Kerry, Dexter and Irish Moiled.

The number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in conservation facilities (either medium or long-term) increased by over a third between 2000 and 2019, rising from 1,044 to 1,415.  See Table 2.4.

The Proportion of Local Breeds Classified as Being at Risk, Not-at-Risk or at Unknown Level of Risk of Extinction, is published by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).  These data are classified as Tier 2 in the Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators.

In 2017 the UNSD stated that thirteen (34.2%) local breeds were at risk of extinction, whilst twenty one (55.3%) were at an unknown level of extinction. 

Only four (10.5%) local breeds were classified as being not-at-risk of extinction.

In 2018, 89% of our local breeds were classified as being at risk, with 11% not at risk.  See Table 2.5.