Bilateral engagements between US and EU possible in tackling the global challenges in agriculture– US Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack
Leading agri-industry conference explores the role of science in driving innovation and addressing challenges within the sector
European Commissioner, Mairead McGuinness receives ‘Distinguished Member’ Award for her impact on the Irish agri-food sector in the course of her career
@ASAIreland #ASA21
Friday 10th September 2021: The 79th annual Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference was live-streamed from the Killashee Hotel in Naas today. This year’s event, sponsored by FBD Insurance, was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and featured a keynote address from US Secretary for Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
Attendees heard from a host of global agri-food experts about the challenges facing the sector which included a major focus on how the industry must address, respond to and mitigate against the impact of climate change.
Michael Berkery, FBD Trust, Frank O’Mara, Director Designate, Teagasc, Karina Pierce, Associate Professor, UCD, Anne Marie Butler, ASA President and Bill Callanan, Chief Inspector, Department of Agriculture at the 79th annual Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference
Opening the conference, Minister McConalogue said, “We have some of the best and brightest talent in our agricultural science sector who are playing a crucial role in one of the most pivotal and transformative times for Irish agriculture. There are undoubted challenges but with challenge comes tremendous opportunity. The key to unlocking these challenges and unleashing our potential is through the agricultural science sector which works hand-in-hand with our pioneering farmers to produce world-class, safe and sustainable food. I am confident that our sector is in safe hands given the depth and breath of talent in the area."
In his keynote address, Mr Tom Vilsack, US Secretary for Agriculture said that the USDA and European Commissions Director General for Agriculture have discussed the possibility of formalising high level bilateral engagements to tackle the bilateral and global challenges facing EU and US farmers.
“The US commends the high level objectives of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategy and shares the EU’s commitment to sustainability, while recognising that while we share the same goal there may well be different ways to get to that goal. While the US supports trade-friendly sustainability and climate practises we continue to stress the need for appropriate assessment of risk and impact for science based regulatory frameworks and the importance of innovation and new technology methods to meet the EU’s ambitious goals.”
ASA Distinguished Member
During the event, European Commissioner, Mairead McGuinness received an ASA Distinguished Member award. The award, sponsored by AIB, honours a member who the organisation believes has made a significant impact on the Irish agri-food sector in the course of their career.
Speaking about the award, Dr. Anne Marie Butler, ASA President said “Mairead was the first female graduate of University College Dublin's Bachelor of Agri-Science degree in Agricultural Economics in 1980 and went on to carve a significant career in agri-journalism which saw her present RTE’s Ear to the Ground before taking on roles as a journalist with the Irish Farmers Journal and editor of the Farming Independent. Throughout her political career she has been a huge advocate for rural Ireland and the Irish agri-food sector and she is incredibly deserving of this award.” She has also had a distinguished career in politics and is Ireland’s longest serving MEP.
ASA FBD Fellowship
The event also provided the platform to announce the prestigious ASA FBD Fellowship Award. The inaugural recipient of this award was revealed as Professor Laurence Shalloo, a Senior Principle Research Officer with Teagasc, at the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark.
The annual programme which launched last year aims to contribute positively to scientific innovation within the Irish agri-food industry while developing Ireland’s next agri-industry thought leader. The €10,000 Fellowship award will be used by Laurence to further develop scientific knowledge in his chosen topic which will focus on “Strategies to achieve Climate Neutrality in Agriculture and the land use sector”.
“FBD Insurance has grown hand in hand with Irish farming over the last 50 years, and we are proud to be a partner to the Irish Agri-industry. FBD remains steadfast in our support of Irish agriculture and we are delighted to support the work of the ASA as long time sponsor of the ASA conference and now this exciting new fellowship initiative. We are proud to support a programme that aims to drive excellence in the agricultural industry. Congratulations to Professor Laurence Shalloo on being named the 2021 fellow and we wish him all the best with his research. We look forward to his conclusions on climate neutrality”
Robust Debate
The conference featured three moderated sessions where speakers shared insights, offered recommendations and engaged in robust debate about the potential solutions to the challenges currently faced by the industry. Speakers included: Dr. Harry Clark, Director of the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre ; Dr Alison Van Eenennaam, Animal Genomics and Biotechnology Specialist, University of California, Davis; Michael Scannell, Deputy Director General for Agriculture and Rural Development, EU Commission; Professor Frank O’Mara, Director Designate, Teagasc; Bill Callanan, Chief Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Ger Cleary, Glenisk, Matt Foley, Kilbush Nurseries and Nick Cotter, Cotter Agritech.
The full conference will be available to watch back later today on www.asaireland.ie