Awards of over €1.8 million have been announced for Irish researchers collaborating in major international agricultural sustainability research projects by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.

The key areas of research relate to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and sustainable animal production; these will be conducted under the European Research Area Networks (ERA-Nets) programme. This programme harnesses collective effort across major international research partners in areas of strategic importance.

The funding for these awards comes from the Department of Agriculture’s Competitive Research Programme and is partnering with Teagasc’s Walsh Fellowship Programme and the EU.

There will be six projects focused on for the investment, according to the department.

Announcing the awards earlier yesterday, the minister said: “The agricultural sector in Europe faces significant challenges in curbing GHG emissions, while maintaining food security and sustainable animal production in a changing climate.

The research funding announcement will make a significant contribution to strengthening the collaborations of Irish research institutions with their international counterparts and help accelerate Ireland’s efforts in meeting these shared challenges.

Four projects are funded under the ERA-Net for ‘Monitoring & Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases from Agri- and Silvi-culture’ (ERA-Gas).

This programme aims to strengthen the transnational coordination of research and innovation on greenhouse gas mitigation in the European sesearch area.

Two of the projects focus on reducing emissions from ruminant animals, while land management aspects in terms of soil pH and carbon sequestration are examined in the other two projects.

The remaining two projects are funded under the ERA-Net for Sustainable Animal Production (SusAn). This ERA-Net programme funds research on innovative solutions for sustainable livestock production systems in Europe.

One will focus on sustainable sheep production, while the other will deal with sustainable beef production systems.

The six awards benefit six different Irish institutions and organisations which, along with Teagasc, include a number of Irish universities (namely University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Limerick, and the National University of Ireland, Galway) and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation; all of these will be partnering with international institutions.

Stressing his ongoing commitment to achieving the Food Wise 2025 targets through sustainability and in an evidence-based manner, Minister Creed said: “The research awards will help further scientific knowledge to inform the pathway to ensuring that environmental protection and economic competitiveness are equal and complementary; one must not be achieved at the expense of the other.”