Ní Mhurchú has campaigned for a European Land Observatory since 2024
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú says small family farms are under pressure from the merging of smaller agricultural plots into larger farms. Farms need more livestock and more land to be viable now and this is putting pressure on the traditional small farm by inflating land prices, pricing young small family farmers out of the market. This consolidation is having a knock-on impact on rural Ireland and the communities therein from the local GAA team to the viability of the local pub.
Ní Mhurchú is urging policymakers and stakeholders to back the development of a permanent European Land Observatory, describing it as a vital step toward safeguarding the future of family farming, improving transparency in land markets, and strengthening evidence-based policymaking across the European Union. She made her comments following discussions in the Oireachtas this week on the concept of a land observatory.
Ní Mhurchú highlighted growing concern about the long-term outlook for Europe’s agricultural landscape. She noted that many countries, including Ireland, are facing similar pressures: an aging farming population, increasing competition for land, and limited reliable data on ownership and land use trends.
According to Ní Mhurchú,
“The central question we must confront is what kind of farming environment we are handing to the next generation. Right now, too many critical decisions are being made without the full picture.”
Ní Mhurchú welcomed the recent pilot proposal by the European Commission and emphasised Ireland’s opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the initiative. She pointed to constructive discussions with officials from Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and said Ireland could potentially host or trial elements of the Observatory.
At the heart of the proposal is the creation of an independent, trusted data platform that would provide regular, comparable information on land ownership, leasing patterns, and land use across Member States. Ní Mhurchú stressed that basic questions about land concentration and the position of family farms remain difficult to answer with certainty under current systems.
“A European Land Observatory would replace speculation with facts,” she said. “It would give farmers, governments, and communities a shared evidence base to work from.”
Ní Mhurchú also warned that pressures on agricultural land are evolving. While ownership consolidation remains a concern, she pointed to the rapid growth in long-term leasing driven by renewable energy development — including solar, wind, and biogas — as a significant emerging factor. She stressed that climate action and food production must be balanced carefully.
“We absolutely need renewable energy expansion,” she said, “but we also need clear visibility on how land is being used so that food security, environmental protection, and energy goals can advance together.”
Beyond market transparency, Ní Mhurchú said the Observatory could support smarter land-use planning by integrating data on soil quality, water resources, biodiversity, and elevation. Such mapping, she argued, would help align the right farming or restoration activity with the right land, improving both productivity and environmental outcomes.
She also called for clearer recognition of the family farm model, describing it as foundational to Europe’s food system. Ní Mhurchú suggested that improved data and definitions could help policymakers better support this model amid structural change in the sector.
Looking to international experience, she noted that France’s long-standing SAFET system (Société d’aménagement foncier et d’établissement rural) demonstrates how transparency mechanisms can operate while respecting property rights. In a nutshell a SAFER allows any viable project leader – whether agri, artisanal, service, residential or environmental, to set up in a rural area only if consistent with local policies and are responsive to the general interest.
She added that similar approaches are now being examined in parts of the UK.
Ní Mhurchú concluded by emphasising that the proposed Observatory is not about increasing bureaucracy but about building trust through shared information.
“This is about clarity, not control,” she said. “With reliable, independent data, we can lower tensions, support young farmers, and make better long-term decisions for rural Ireland and for Europe.”
She called on the Irish Government and EU partners to engage constructively with the pilot phase and ensure Ireland’s voice helps shape the future direction of the European Land Observatory.
ENDS
