A two-day conference will take place in Co. Cork next month focused on ensuring a sustainable future for Ireland’s dairy industry.
‘The Sustainability Event’ will take place in the Aula Maxima at University College Cork (UCC) between December 4-5.
Delegates will discuss a sustainable, profitable path for Ireland’s dairy industry against the backdrop of environmental, economic, and regulatory challenges.
Conference
The conference is jointly organised by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), UCC Food Industry Training Unit, ICOS Skillnet and the Plunkett Institute.
It will explore the main pillars underpinning the dairy industry’s current and future sustainability strategies:
- Climate change and biodiversity;
- Sustainability as a dual imperative and opportunity;
- Sustainability across the supply chain;
- Sustainability reporting;
- The future of Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
The event will be officially opened by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney.
Senior figures in the Irish agri-food sector due to address delegates include: Bill Callanan, chief inspector with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM); Laurence Shalloo, head of animal and grassland research innovation at Teagasc and Prof. Gerry Boyle, chair of the Food Vision Dairy Group.
The event will also hear from Dr. John Roche, chief science advisor for the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, Mary Gurrie, programme manager for water quality in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dave Fitzgerald, sustainability director in Ornua.
Sustainability
Edward Carr, president of ICOS, said that the conference has come at a crucial time for the dairy sector.
“In Ireland, we are uniquely positioned to lead the global dairy sector towards a sustainable future.
“This conference is our platform to identify and showcase how sustainability can be an engine of growth and resilience for our dairy co-ops,” he said.
Prof. Paul McSweeney, vice president for learning and teaching in UCC added that Irish dairy farmers and co-operatives are “at the forefront of implementing sustainable practices”.
“The economic contribution of the dairy sector is profound, creating annual value in the order of €17 billion, including exports in excess of €6.5 billion, extending its benefits to rural communities and consumers across Ireland and contributing to national and international food security.
“We must ensure that this continues on a sustainable basis for the future and I very much welcome this timely event to address these opportunities,” he said.