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SUSTAINABILITY & BUSINESS

A collection highlighting the issue of sustainability as it relates to business and commerce.

SUSTAINABILITY & BUSINESS

A collection highlighting the issue of sustainability as it relates to business and commerce.

<p>Alltech president and CEO Mark Lyons, Minister agriculture minister Martin Heydon, Alltech founder and owner Deirdre Lyons, IDA Ireland head of biopharma and food Rory Mullen, Alltech Europe & Asia Pacific applications Manager Patrick Ward, Northern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir, and Alltech global vice president of ESG Tara McCarthy. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke</p>

farming

Alltech expands EU applications lab in Meath

Alltech's European headquarters has expanded its EU Applications Laboratory, which will focus on nutrient efficiency, environmental impact and renewable energy

<p>(Left to right) Architecture students Lena Abdulrahem, Grace Corrigan and Anna Cochran<br> were named overall winners at the Forest Industries Ireland Future Timber Design Awards on Friday.</p>

farming

TU Dublin students win Future Timber Design Awards

<p>To tech executives, AI will solve everything — including the climate impacts of the industry’s own data centre expansion, which requires immense land, energy, and resources. Photo: Niall Carson/PA</p>

comment-analysis

AI backlash is growing — and tech execs know it

Black Angus cows in a field

farming

New national organic awards launched at Bloom 2026

'Ireland will most likely fail to meet even half' of its climate targets, President Connolly tells Bloom

news

'Ireland will most likely fail to meet even half' of its climate targets, President Connolly tells Bloom

Breeding, reseeding and Michelin star visitors on Kay's organic farm

farming

Breeding, reseeding and Michelin star visitors on Kay's organic farm

Minister questions Re-turn's plan to use €60m of unredeemed deposits to build plastic recycling plant

Minister questions Re-turn's plan to use €60m of unredeemed deposits to build plastic recycling plant

Minister Alan Dillon has queried whether the plan would be permissible under competition law, and whether it may affect Re-turn’s not-for-profit status

Mon, 25 May, 2026

Tirlán re-opens applications for Sustainable Farming Academy at UCC

Tirlán re-opens applications for Sustainable Farming Academy at UCC

The Sustainable Farming Academy, a collaboration between Tirlán and Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, celebrates its fifth year as it re-opens for applications among the co-op members

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Racks of Cultivated Living Lettuce at Indoor Vertical Farm

Vertical farming lettuce releases higher emissions, study finds

Fans of vertical farming will be disappointed to discover that comprehensive research in the UK has shown higher environmental impacts per kg of vertically-farmed lettuce compared to traditional field farming, or to growing lettuce in Spain and importing it

Wed, 13 May, 2026

grandmother in the garden gather the harvest. Selective focus.

Ireland's food strategy needs a radical overhaul

In Ireland, one in 11 people experience food insecurity, or food poverty. But this not down to the cost of food, it's due to the cost of everything else, writes Angela Ruttledge, head of policy at FoodCloud

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Applications for home energy grants have surged, says SEAI

Applications for home energy grants have surged, says SEAI

So far this year, there has been a record 25,000 grant applications

Mon, 04 May, 2026

Ireland must act on fossil fuel phase-out

Ireland must act on fossil fuel phase-out

Ireland and Tuvalu will co-host next year's conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. But the momentum between now and then is crucial, writes Trócaire’s Climate Justice Policy and Advocacy advisor, Sinéad Loughran

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Children's book highlights 'the most misunderstood tree in Ireland', bodies claim

Children's book highlights 'the most misunderstood tree in Ireland', bodies claim

The promoters say Sitka spruce helps Ireland produce its own timber for housing, fencing, packaging, energy and other daily needs

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Waterford couple win Tirlán Milk Supplier of the Year award

Waterford couple win Tirlán Milk Supplier of the Year award

Shane and Kate Fitzgerald from Portlaw, Waterford, also received the Farming Ambassador Award

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Grazing Cows

Teagasc director challenges Irish dairy to lead on water quality

Any farm you walk into in the morning will have at least one — if not two or three — issues to address, Teagasc's director of research has said

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026

Upcycling among solutions reviewed at Teagasc forum to tackle food waste

Upcycling among solutions reviewed at Teagasc forum to tackle food waste

Teagasc convenes stakeholders to advance solutions on tackling Ireland's national food waste challenge

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026

CBV delivers better results no matter the animal type, says Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

CBV delivers better results no matter the animal type, says Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

Analysis of data collected from finishing animals has found performance gaps between top-ranking and bottom-ranking CBV calves were not evident at the time of calf purchase

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026

Rule changes to allow biomethane into power grid

Rule changes to allow biomethane into power grid

It will help Ireland's small anaerobic digestion sector, currently about 30 biogas plants, to catch up with the rest of Europe, which has more than 20,000

Wed, 18 Mar, 2026

sewage from the sewer pollute a lake, river

Environmental Protection Agency reimposes order on North Cork Creameries

North Cork Co-Operative Creameries was previously ordered to stop discharging wastewater to the River Allow in November 2025

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland

Organic farming scheme attracts 269 more farmers

The new participants will join the latest tranche of the Organic Farming Scheme, subject to them meeting all scheme requirements

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Sustainability firm folds due to shift in climate policy

Sustainability firm folds due to shift in climate policy

Change By Degrees co-founder Tara Shine explains how its market all but vanished after the EU's omnibus measure scaled back key sustainability directives

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Value, not sustainability, is driving the second-hand fashion boom

Value, not sustainability, is driving the second-hand fashion boom

Economic pressures and value-driven consumption are core to the second-hand surge, writes sustainability strategist Pat Kane

Mon, 26 Jan, 2026

Beef Cattle Open Range on Large Ranch

Farmers can now change their SCEP yearly reference number for 2026

Any changes made to the 2026 yearly reference number, either increases or decreases, will have an associated impact on the requirements or actions to be carried out by the farmer and on the maximum payment that the participant will be eligible to draw down later in 2026

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

New electric car registrations show significant recovery in 2025

New electric car registrations show significant recovery in 2025

To reach the Government's climate goal of 845,000 private electric cars on the road by 2030, 650,000 electric cars will have to be registered in the next five years

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

MTU launches Ireland’s first pilot biorefinery in Kerry

MTU launches Ireland’s first pilot biorefinery in Kerry

The facility will develop technologies that convert the country’s grasslands into a range of products, including high-quality animal feeds, human-grade protein, prebiotics, flavours and bioenergy

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Remote working: Employers should work with staff but they cannot solve traffic jams

Remote working: Employers should work with staff but they cannot solve traffic jams

Denis O’Brien caused a stir when he hit out at remote working. While Damien McCarthy does not concur with all of Mr O'Brien's points, he welcomes a rare voice speaking up for employers

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026

Solar panels. Power station. Blue solar panels. Alternative source of electricity. Solar farm. The source of ecological renewabl

Cost of energy efficiency upgrades a hurdle for many firms

42% of firms surveyed for Pinergy's report by iReach Insights say upfront cost is the biggest barrier to energy efficiency measures

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026

Small farms to benefit most from derogation, says senator

Small farms to benefit most from derogation, says senator

'We have three years now to look at the alternatives and at what the future is for the derogation in Ireland. Could it be the unthinkable, a future without derogation? What might that look like?'

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Dairygold announce Munster finalists for malting barley programme

Dairygold announce Munster finalists for malting barley programme

The overall winner of the 2025 Dairygold Malting Barley Competition will be announced at the Annual Tillage Conference on January 9, 2026, at the Corrin Event Centre in Fermoy, Co Cork

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Herd of Friesian cattle

Stephen Cadogan: Ireland's derogation has bucked the trend of EU dairy decline

Perhaps the Irish nitrates situation has allowed the EU to show it too is concerned for the future of EU dairying, writes Stephen Cadogan

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Wind energy versus coal fired power plants

Data centres must get at least 80% of their energy from renewables, regulator says

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities said grid operators will have to consider where a data centre is being proposed for and if the energy demand in that area is already constrained

Fri, 12 Dec, 2025