Climate and environmental projects are among research studies selected to share in €20 million in grant funding, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed.

24 projects were selected following a competitive research call by the department.

The research will be carried out by around 120 researchers and students, across 19 organisations, including Teagasc, universities and institutes of technology.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA) will provide an additional €2.4 million in funding to Northern Ireland-based institutions involved in six research projects.

Futureproof

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said the investment is aimed at ensuring the Irish agri-food sector is in a position to deliver on the goals contained in Food Vision 2030.

“As a sector, we must continually strive for improvement and ensure that we futureproof ourselves. Central to this is well-funded and targeted research particularly in the area of climate and sustainability.

“These [projects] will ensure that we stay ahead of the challenges we will face and will allow us to work together for the benefit of everyone in the sector,” the minister said.

Climate research

€12 million of the funding has been earmarked for 10 projects that have a climate or environmental theme.

Minister of State at the DAFM with responsibility for research and development, Martin Heydon, claimed these projects will help farmers to deliver on the Climate Action Plan 2021.

Two projects will be co-funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The minister said one project will focus on rewetting of farmland to enhance carbon sinks.

The other piece of research will focus on abatement measures and associated cost curves to facilitate reduced emissions from agriculture.

A number of projects will examine potential food security threats arising from climate change, with one study exploring the potential to diversify protein sources on an all-island basis.

Research will also be carried out on the increased disease risks from vector-borne pathogens affecting animals and humans.

Sustainability

Three projects focused on forestry will examine the potential to improve climate regulation, enhance biodiversity and sustainable timber solutions.

A study aiming to cut down on food waste will focus on sustainable packing with improved shelf-life for highly perishable food products.

Minister Heydon said some projects “aim to add value to the Irish food industry through diversification and food product innovations”.

Researchers will consider the flavour profile of grass-fed beef and sheepmeat and genetics to improve beef outputs from dairy herds.

Studies will look into the evidence base for value added plant products and the propagation of micro-greens in vertical farming systems.

One project will exam over-reliance on anthelmintics in the sheep sector and another is to examine the concentration of residues and pathogens in manure used for land spreading.

Minister Heydon said that socio-economic projects on succession and mental health have also been selected.