Minister Michael Creed has formally appointed a chairperson to the committee charged with developing Ireland’s agri-food strategy to 2030.
Tom Arnold – who has a wealth of experience at national, European and international level on issues surrounding food and agriculture – will take the reigns of the committee, which will develop an agri-food strategy to be the successor to Food Wise 2025.
Commenting on the appointment, Minister Creed said: “I am delighted that Tom Arnold has accepted my invitation to this role. Given his distinguished career both nationally and internationally, as well as the respect with which he is held both within and outside the sector, I believe that he will make an excellent chair.
His familiarity and expertise in agriculture, food and economics will serve him well in this important role over the coming months.
Arnold is currently the chair of a taskforce on rural Africa that was established by the European Commission.
He has also served as the director general of the Institute of International and European Affairs, the chairperson of the Irish Constitutional Convention, and chief executive of Concern Worldwide.
Arnold has also served on several other Government and non-governmental bodies, including, among others: the UN Millennium Project’s Hunger Taskforce; the Irish Hunger Taskforce; the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund; and the Government’s Commission on Taxation.
Arnold has a degree in agricultural economics from University College Dublin (UCD) and Masters degrees from Trinity College Dublin and Leuven University in Belgium.
Making the announcement today, Friday, November 15, Minister Creed also confirmed that the remaining composition of the Agri-Food 2030 Committee will be announced in the coming weeks.