horse power

The recent horse documentary from RTE has caused its justifiable furore. Animals unfit for human consumption are being falsely microchipped to pass a determined standard and create a lucrative business for those who care little for the final consumer.
 
Trust is built with truth and transparency. Exposing the truth brings some transparency but certainly trust in our food system is shaken yet again. There is much to delve into this.
 
This malpractice is not news to the department as it was flagged for a few years. The horse industry seems to be able to by pass the scrutiny that other small farmers cannot avoid. Why is this? Why are some farmers hounded and others ignored? A two tier system of regulation. We have seen raw milk get a lot of scrutiny recently. It certainly seemed over zealous and unfair.
 
Can a consumer trust the food they consume if there is such blatant attempts to put such products on the market? Do labels mean what they say? When trust is broken it is so hard to bring it back. The longer the supply chain the less responsibility you have for the final consumer.
 
This is why shortening the chain can help build back the trust. Many shorter chains in local contexts. Globalisation means we can have what we want when we want but to be honest is it worth the mistrust? I am beginning to wonder. 

​Anne Maher