AgRenew Summit to focus on Ireland’s next generation of farmers
(Left to right): Minister for agriculture, Martin Heydon, chair of Golden Jubilee Trust, Joe Collins and president of ICOS, Edward Carr, at the launch of the AgRenew Ireland Summit.
This year’s AgRenew Ireland Summit will focus on next-generation farming, bringing together young farmers, academics, politicians, and co-op leaders.
The summit, themed “New Blood, Stronger Farming”, will take place in Naas, Co Kildare, on November 5 and is organised by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) in association with the Golden Jubilee Trust and the Irish presidency of the EU.
The summit will be opened by the minister for agriculture, Martin Heydon, with a range of guest speakers including UCD's dean of agriculture, Karina Pierce. The EU commissioner for agriculture and food, Christophe Hansen, will also speak to the gathering from Brussels.
In Ireland, only 4% of farmers are under 35, while 37% are over 65; across Europe, the average farmer's age is 57, and just one in 30 are women farmers under the age of 40.
The AgRenew Ireland Summit, supported by the Golden Jubilee Trust, brings together stakeholders with the aim of addressing the challenges facing willing young farmers and finding legitimate and workable pathways to securing the next generation of farmers and co-op leaders.
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Panelists vary from young farmers, academics, politicians and co-op leaders. The event will culminate in a series of break-out sessions aimed at assembling constructive proposals to support new entrants in the sector and stronger farming into the future.
Geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, market volatility and stricter rules and regulations add further challenges for young people who want to dedicate their lives to working in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the launch of the summit, ICOS president Edward Carr said: “Generational renewal was not a phrase we often heard in the past, but now it is front and centre to every discussion and debate about the future of farming both in Ireland and across Europe. We need to get serious about tackling the main barriers which are turning young people away at the farm gate.
"We know what the challenges are, we know the age profile of farmers, and we have the reports at national and EU level to back that up. What is needed now is action, and this summit will look to focus on the immediate workable solutions to speed up the process of getting new blood into farming.”
Minister Martin Heydon said: “The challenge of generational renewal in farming is widely recognised at both national and EU level. It is important that we have skilled, innovative young farmers coming into the sector to secure a viable and sustainable future for Irish farming.
“Under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 there is substantial investment in achieving generational renewal, and measures include the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers’ Scheme, to help young farmers establish their farming businesses, and the TAMS capital investment measure, where a higher grant rate of 60% for qualified young farmers is available.
Chair of The Golden Jubilee Trust, Joe Collins, said: “The Golden Jubilee Trust is very pleased to support the AgRenew Ireland Summit, which addresses one of the most important challenges facing the future of Irish farming and the co-operative movement.
"We need to encourage fresh thinking and new ideas while building on the knowledge and experience of established farmers. This summit is a great opportunity to bring generations together, identify solutions and help to secure a strong and sustainable future for Irish farming and our co-operatives.”
