A GENERAL ELECTION still appears to be months away but the wheels are already starting to turn on some campaigns.

It now looks likely that a farmers’ party will form part of the field of candidates.

A recent poll by the Irish Farmers Journal found that three in four farmers would vote for a new farmers’ political party if one emerged, and the Farmers’ Alliance organisation also announced plans to run candidates in the next general election.

It comes amid increasing pressure on rural Ireland due to climate change – due to either the need to adapt to a future that focuses on reducing carbon emissions or the real-life impacts that a warming climate will have on their livelihoods – but a sense of a lack of their voice being heard at the top table.

This week on The Explainer, we’re joined by journalist Hannah Quinn Mulligan, who is also an organic beef and dairy farmer as well as the founder of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group, to delve into this further.

What are the types of issues that farmers want to see form a bigger part of government policy? Who are the European parties making similar moves into this space? And what difference could it make for rural Ireland?

https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/why-is-there-so-much-talk-about-a-farmers-party-in-ireland/s-NMDp29D8SLE?si=f9b12c4a461d4879bbd27c16cb32120c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

This episode was put together by presenter Laura Byrne, senior producer Nicky Ryan, production assistant Muiris O’Cearbhaill and executive producer Sinéad O’Carroll.