Ciarán Mullooly: Calls for a European Strategic Fertiliser Reserve
MEP Ciarán Mullooly urged the European Parliament panel to consider creating a strategic fertiliser reserve to protect food production and stabilise markets. He argued regions with stockpiles faced smaller price rises and said fertiliser is essential to food security.
Key finding: Mullooly highlighted that regions holding strategic stockpiles did not experience the same level of price increases as those without them. He framed that contrast as a lesson for EU policy on supply resilience and market stability.
Why it matters: Mullooly reminded colleagues that strategic reserves are already accepted for oil and energy and argued fertiliser is not merely an input but central to food production and food security. He warned that recent geopolitical shocks can quickly disrupt supply chains and push prices beyond farmers' reach.
Policy proposal: The MEP proposed a European strategic fertiliser reserve to strengthen resilience and stabilise markets during crises. He positioned the reserve as a practical measure to safeguard food production across the Union.
Panel challenge: Mullooly closed by directly asking the panel whether they would support building a proper strategic reserve, pressing for clear commitments on protecting inputs crucial to farming and food security.
Key finding: Mullooly highlighted that regions holding strategic stockpiles did not experience the same level of price increases as those without them. He framed that contrast as a lesson for EU policy on supply resilience and market stability.
Why it matters: Mullooly reminded colleagues that strategic reserves are already accepted for oil and energy and argued fertiliser is not merely an input but central to food production and food security. He warned that recent geopolitical shocks can quickly disrupt supply chains and push prices beyond farmers' reach.
Policy proposal: The MEP proposed a European strategic fertiliser reserve to strengthen resilience and stabilise markets during crises. He positioned the reserve as a practical measure to safeguard food production across the Union.
Panel challenge: Mullooly closed by directly asking the panel whether they would support building a proper strategic reserve, pressing for clear commitments on protecting inputs crucial to farming and food security.
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Transcript
Thank you Chair. Chair, whatever about the margin of profit that's going on here with fertilisers and the companies involved, today's presentation highlighted one important fact. The regions that had strategic stockpiles in place did not experience the same level of price increases as those without them, and that's a lesson I think we have to learn here. We've already recognised the importance of strategic reserves when it comes to things like oil and energy. Fertiliser is not just another input, I believe it's essential to food production and therefore ultimately to food security. So recent years have shown how quickly geopolitical events can disrupt supply chains and drive prices beyond the reach of farmers, so I believe a European strategic fertiliser reserve would strengthen resilience and stabilise the markets during times of crisis, and help safeguard food production across the Union. So if we're really serious about food production and food security, then we must also be serious about securing the inputs that make food production possible. So I ask our panel, would they be in favour of a proper strategic reserve being built up?