Tucked away in the heart of Ireland in the sleepy rural village of Cloughjordan, you’ll find an eco village which hosts ‘Feeding Ourselves’, an annual gathering of farmers and environmentalists to discuss the future of sustainable agriculture. A number of farmers came along to the event to share their view...

Irish LEADER support for the Water Biodiversity Training Programme for the Duhallow Communities project acted as a catalyst in helping local authorities design popular and productive environmental actions attracting larger sources of funding. LEADER is good at building social capacity in rural community organisations that can be directed to develop and...

Ireland’s agricultural sector has specialised towards the export of dairy products and beef, mainly to the UK and the EU. At the same time, domestic consumers are now reliant on food imports. Recent global events have nonetheless raised the question of whether Ireland should be producing more foods for the domestic...

This article is about informing the debate. The information in it has long been needed. It is, however, still superficial and no more than a snapshot. It has also required the author to resort to available ‘standard’ farm management data to make predictions. The information it contains is, therefore, only...

Part two of four from Stuart Meikle on Ireland, food security and feed(ing) the world delves into the relationship Britain and Ireland have with each other  -the two main islands of the archipelago referred to in the article’s title. Part one (see below) focused on Ireland, food security and nitrogen...

In these challenging times ‘food security’ has returned to the agenda in what was assumed to be the well-fed countries of the World. That includes in Ireland, even though it is ranked first in the Economist’s Global Food Security Index. To inform this debate ARC2020 will present an article series ...

Smart Farming, the resource efficiency programme run by the Irish Farmers’ Association in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will host an online seminar “Sources and Solutions”: The link between our soils and water quality this Wed from 8.30pm. During the seminar, a series of short information videos will be launched on how farmers can...

Sunday, 1st March 2 - 4pm Irish Seed Savers, Capparoe, Scariff, Co. Clare, Ireland. Bring your extra seeds to share on the day, and take home some seeds to plan your garden for the year.    

Sunday 17th  May from 2 – 4pm Irish Seed Savers, Capparoe, Scariff, Co. Clare.   Bring your surplus seeds, plants, seedlings and shrubs to share. Meet our team of experts to learn how your support helps protect Ireland’s collection of rare and heritage food seeds and fruit trees.

Sunday 5th July 12 – 4pm. Irish Seed Savers Association, Capparoe, Scariff, Co. Clare. A day dedicated to showcasing the wonderful heritage seed gardens in full bloom at Irish Seed Savers. Along with garden tours, childrens activities, refreshments, including Irish Seed Savers own organic apple juice, will be available on the day. This...

Sunday 13th September 12 – 4pm. Irish Seed Savers Capparoe, Scariff, Co. Clare, Ireland. A day dedicated to showcasing the heritage Irish apple tree collection. Along with orchard tours, children’s activities, refreshments, including Irish Seed Savers own organic apple juice, will be available on the day.

IIMRO’s proposals to support fishing communities

The Organic Action Plan is a welcome tool in exploring the fantastic trade opportunities that exist for organic food and drink in Scotland. As a wholesaler we can see the demand that exists for organic produce within Scotland. The Organic Action Plan will provide a platform to ensure that in...

LIFE members from Ireland – the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation launch a campaign to ask decision-makers to support a groundbreaking Heritage License Bill that would allow to allocate a small percentage of the Irish national quota to the islands’ fishers, thus preventing island populations from dwindling.

Darragh Flynn (27) started the Happy Pear Living Foods Farm 4 years ago in 2009. He now grows wheatgrass and many different types of sprouts, like beans, sunflower, chickpeas, alfafa, leaks, etc. Darragh delivers all over Ireland and shows us that even without land, it is possible to set up...

Teagasc (Ireland) has developed an online benchmarking tool to help Irish farmers identify the areas which need improvement on their farm. Dairy, cattle, sheep, tillage and pig enterprises can use the “eProfit Monitor” to analyse key financial and physical data from their farm and compare this to results from other...

The geographical isolation of islands makes them highly dependent on the resources available within their localities, especially fisheries resources. The right to fish, and to access fishery resources are prerequisite to the prosperity and very survival of such island communities.

"Go for it. Choose the rural alternative. Reclaim the fields!" All around Europe, young urban people with no agricultural background decide to start a farm, often using principles of agroecology and community supported agriculture. Despite the many difficulties these new farmers face, their practices are innovative, viable and sustainable. Representing...

Filmed on Achill Island in September 2015 this video highlights the Natura 2000 habitats Machair Grassland and Upland Heath, both present on the Island. Supporting the type of traditional extensive farming that is practiced here is essential for maintaining these habitats. Taking a more targeted approach to agri-environment schemes can...

A collection of short examples of initiatives/projects related to new entrants into farming (mostly small scale)