Latest research highlighted at the all-island agriculture and land use conference
From left: Dr Muireann Egan, Teagasc; Professor Karl Richards, head of the Teagasc Climate Research Centre; Dr Cara Augustenberg, University College Dublin; Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc director; Professor Elizabeth Magowan, director of AFBI’s Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division; and Professor Alan Matthews, Trinity College Dublin. Picture: Michael Scully Photography
A conference which brought together researchers across Ireland was presented with the latest developments and research regarding land use and agriculture.
The conference titled ‘Agriculture and Land Use: Pathways to a Sustainable Future 2026’, was hosted in Portlaoise on May 26 and was the first of the biennial conferences to host researchers across Ireland.
The conference is sponsored by both the Department of Agriculture and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and was organised by Teagasc, Agri-Food Biosciences Institute, and universities across the island of Ireland.
The conference showcased 250 presentations, which exhibited the latest science, including behavioural insights to identify practical, evidence-based pathways to enhance the sustainability and resilience of agriculture and land use.
Speaking by video at the conference, agriculture minister Martin Heydon said: “Ireland has set ambitious climate targets, and agriculture and land use will have a central role in achieving them while continuing to produce high-quality, sustainable food, fibre, energy and other outputs.”
Also speaking was Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland's agriculture minister, who said: “It is important to bring expertise across Ireland together to focus on key challenges that we all share. Research and innovation will continue to be central to building a resilient and sustainable food system.”
Teagasc director, Professor Frank O’Mara, spoke at the official opening of the conference, saying the event was a “vital opportunity to align research priorities” alongside advisory pathways and policy levers so evidence leads to impact.
Director of the Agri-Food Biosciences Institute's Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division Professor Elizabeth Magowan said: “AFBI warmly welcomes this all-island forum, which strengthens scientific partnerships by bringing researchers, advisers, industry and policymakers together to co-develop practical solutions that support resilient food systems, thriving rural communities and improved environmental stewardship across both jurisdictions.”
