Press release
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine strongly supports investment in scientific research
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
As Science Week 2021 comes to a close, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, T.D. and the Minister of State Martin Heydon, T.D. with responsibility for research, highlighted how science and innovation are being supported in securing the future of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in this country.
Minister McConalogue said,
“The recently published Food Vision 2030, sets an ambitious vision for Agriculture, one that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, with farmers foresters and fishers very much at the centre of this vision”.
The Minister added,
“Innovation is critical to achieving this vision with our sector embracing new and innovative ways of doing things all the time. My Department has a long and successful track record of supporting research and innovation through core funding for Teagasc and the Marine Institute developing critical solutions to the key sectoral challenges of our time on an ongoing basis. My Department has also operated competitive research funding programmes for many years supporting innovation across the sector. Since 2010, my Department has allocated almost €150 million to scientific research addressing sustainable agriculture and food production, plant and animal health, animal welfare, food safety, food technology and innovation, bioeconomy, nutrition and forest research”.
Minister Heydon added that:
“The collaborative nature of the Department’s competitive research funding programme facilitates broader research across institutions. This approach is enhanced by the operation and running of joint research calls with other Irish funders, such as the EPA. It is further broadened through participation in international research calls within European Research Area Networks as well as joint calls with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland and the United States Department of Agriculture”.
Minister Heydon also said that
“it is envisaged that future research funding opportunities will contribute to the development of a sustainable food system and bioeconomy and will have a specific focus on climate neutrality of primary production, circular management of resources, sustainable and healthy food systems, reversing biodiversity decline, prevention and removal of pollution and the further development of the bioeconomy.”
Both Ministers emphasised the importance of emerging science and innovation in delivering on the sectors commitments under the recently published National Climate Action Plan 2021.
The Department anticipates announcing the results of its 2021 Competitive Research Call in the coming weeks.