Key areas of focus include healthy diets, water quality, biodiversity, climate change, animal health and welfare, and farm safety.
The Government has today (30 April) announced a major investment into research for the agri-food, forestry and bioeconomy spaces, with 30 new pioneering projects to receive a share of €37.5m in support of research across 19 institutions.
Key areas of focus include innovation and value-add in the food sector, healthy diets, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, tackling climate change, strengthening animal health and welfare, and advancing farm safety.
The successful projects include UCD’s ‘All Island of Ireland Surveillance of Zoonotic Pathogens’, Maynooth University’s ‘Antimicrobial Resistance Dynamics, Evolution and Emerging Threats in the Environment’, and Teagasc’s ‘Water Quality Response Times for Irish Catchments’ and ‘Reducing Methane Emissions in Irish Beef Systems through Strategic Use of Feed Additives and Early Life Interventions’, among others.
Commenting on the announcement, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, TD said: “This €37.5m in awards is an investment in the future of Ireland’s agri-food, forest and bioeconomy sectors. Cutting-edge research and innovation are essential to ensuring that these sectors remain competitive, resilient and sustainable in the years ahead.”
