Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: The island nation still depends heavily on imports, and Wisconsin agriculture businesses could provide food and grain products and advanced technology solutions.
Agriculture is a fundamental pillar of Ireland’s economy. In 2023, the agriculture and food sector employed more than 171,000 people, or 6.4% of the country’s workforce, according to a December 2024 summary from the Irish government. The sector encompasses more than 135,000 farms, 2,000 fishing vessels and aquaculture businesses, and more than 2,000 food production and beverage companies.
Ireland exported €18.1 billion ($20.8 billion USD) worth of agri-food products, a 26.4% increase since 2020, reaching more than 180 markets worldwide and accounting for 9% of all of the Irish goods exported in 2023.
“The agri-food sector is our largest and most important indigenous exporting sector and plays a critical role in the environmental, societal and economic sustainability of Ireland,” said Charlie McConalogue, the nation’s minister for agriculture, food, and the marine.
Pasture-based family farms dominate in Ireland, where green grass grows for up to 10 months a year, according to Sustainable Food Systems Ireland. As a result, dairy and beef cattle make up two-thirds of the gross agricultural output. Dairy products represent 40% of overall food and drink exports, and Ireland is the largest net exporter of beef in the Northern Hemisphere.
The U.S. is Ireland’s second-largest export destination, after the United Kingdom, McConalogue said.
Because of Ireland’s topography and climate, it is more challenging to produce grains and horticulture, so about 80% of the country’s animal feed as well as food and beverage needs are imported, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). Agricultural machinery is also imported.
The U.S. is Ireland’s fourth-largest source of agricultural and related products, after the U.K., the Netherlands, and Germany. In 2024, Ireland imported $1 billion worth of those products from the U.S., a 17% increase over 2023, ITA said.
In 2024, corn, proteins, essential oils, dairy products, fruit and vegetable juices, chocolate and cocoa products, distilled spirits, and forest products were among the most popular imports from the U.S.
Ireland is also believed to be the first nation worldwide to implement a national sustainability program for agriculture and food, involving the government, producers, and the private sector. The goal of Food Vision 2030 is to make Ireland a world leader in sustainable food systems, producing safe, nutritious, high-value food while protecting the country’s natural and cultural resources.
Wisconsin companies involved in agricultural exports—particularly those using innovative, sustainable operations—may find opportunities to collaborate in Ireland.
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