Finalists announced for Dawn Meats' Great Agri-Food Debate
Four Irish universities have been selected to advance to the final of the Great Agri-Food Debate which takes place next year.
There were 7 colleges and universities across the island of Ireland competing in this year’s heats for a place in the final.
The teams represented University College Cork (UCC); University College Dublin (UCD); Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT); College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE); Munster Technological University (MTU); Atlantic Technological University (ATU); and the reigning champions South East Technological University (SETU).
They debated motions on sustainability, agricultural policy, and global supply-chain risks.
Great Agri-Food Debate
UCD successfully opposed the motion that "Organic farming is more sustainable than conventional farming", defeating UCC.
Susanna Kelly led the win as the UCD team captain, while Aoife Lynch, UCC, was awarded best speaker.
SETU successfully proposed the motion that "The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will not improve deforestation risks globally", opposed by DkIT.
The best speaker was awarded to Ellen Doherty, SETU captain.
CAFRE, lead by captain Caleb Orr, successfully proposed the motion that "EU/UK budgetary pressures and changing priorities are a greater risk to UK/Irish farming than the Mercosur agreement", defeating MTU.
In this round, Jessica Cuthbertson, CAFRE, was awarded best speaker.
Ahead of the heats taking place, a random draw was conducted by Paul Nolan, group development manager at Dawn Meats, whereby Atlantic Technological University (ATU) received a bye.
Final
The winners of each heat will now advance to the final of the Great Agri-Food Debate which will take place at SETU in Co. Waterford in February 2026.
The event will mark ten years of the competition which brings together students from colleges and universities across Ireland the UK to debate topical issues within the agri-food sector.
Richard Clinton, group commercial director of Dawn Meats, said: "Year-on-year, we see a high calibre of students participating in our debates, demonstrating their innovative thinking and deep understanding of issues shaping our industry.
"The quality of debates in this year’s heats has been outstanding, and it is clear that the future of the agri-food sector is in capable hands.
"Dawn Meats would like to congratulate all participating teams and wish the finalists the very best of luck as they prepare for the final," he added.
Eva Cooney, director at Rabobank said she was delighted to support the tenth edition of Dawn Meats’ Great Agri-Food Debate.
"As chair of the judging panel, I was extremely impressed by the high calibre of the competitors.
"The standard of debate and confidence shown throughout the competition so far demonstrates just how strong the next generation of industry leaders will be," she said.
