Investment in R&D key to evolution of food industry, says Smith

THE critical importance of investment in research and development (R&D) is key to the development of the Irish food industry Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith has said.

Mr Smith described the agri-food sector as Ireland’s most important indigenous sector, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout every county, at both producer and processor levels.

“The industry is vital to our economic future, particularly at this time, in terms of employment, value-added and export earnings. The industry is, undoubtedly, facing challenges but has demonstrated its resilience and capacity to adapt to competitive challenges in the past and to build business in emerging and changing markets,” Mr Smith added.

The minister was speaking after confirming that the Food Graduate Development Programme – www.foodpostgrad.ie – was to continue for another two years. Funding of €1.1 million was allocated for the initiative in 2007 for a five-year period, subject to a review after the first 18 months of its existence.

Following this review Mr Smith has sanctioned funding for years 3 and 4 of the programme, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM).

Mr Smith confirmed that developing the Irish food industry in line with the strategy set out in the Agri-Vision 2015 Report remains a priority for his Department. “Investment in research and development is a cornerstone of this strategy and initiatives like the graduate development programme will accelerate the path towards building a knowledge economy. The programme is helping to develop a skilled workforce to meet the competitive challenges facing the food sector”.

The Food Graduate Development Programme has been developed by University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC) and Teagasc as a joint initiative to provide skills training to postgraduate students and research staff in universities and research institutions engaged in food research projects funded under the FIRM measure.

The project co-ordinator is Professor Mike Gibney, professor of food and health at UCD, and the director of training is Professor Alan Kelly, dean of graduate studies at UCC. Over 120 postgraduate students had attended the six modules delivered to date.