ASA conference to highlight Ireland's role in global food security
Ireland’s role in global food security is set to top the agenda at this year's Agricultural Science Association (ASA) annual conference.
The conference, taking place on Thursday, September 4 at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork, will see experts and primary producers assess the current state of the agri-food industry while looking to the future.
The panel discussions on the day will be moderated by Damien O’Reilly from the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS).
ASA president Susan Maher, who launched this year’s conference, said that "in 2022, the Global Food Security Index ranked Ireland as the world’s second most food secure country".
“That data also ranked Ireland highly in terms of agricultural research and development, work that our ASA members are spearheading on several fronts.
"It also concluded that significant policy improvements are required to further strengthen Ireland’s standing given the challenging and uncertain international picture.
“At our 2025 conference, industry leaders will draw from their vast corporate, science and industry-based experience, to discuss Ireland’s food security future and how we, as a collective body, can positively steer the Ireland towards even greater levels of quality, reliability and sustainability," she said.
The ASA President stressed that the 2025 ASA conference will not just be limited to a single agenda-setting item.
“As has proven the case at previous conferences, much will be discussed and debated over the course of the day, including food production, food waste and the environment, new scientific developments, the cost of living and its many implications, what we can expect from the next Common Agricultural Policy 2028- 2035, the challenges of farm succession and much more," Maher said.
The annual ASA conference will be followed by a banquet which includes the traditional post-dinner ‘fireside chat’ with a special guest to be announced closer to the conference.
“Action, rather than reaction, is at the heart of the ASA’s work and through the impressive range of panellists we have assembled for our 2025 ASA conference, we’re aiming to drive the narrative within Irish agriculture and food production and challenge all of us to aim higher and do better," Maher said.
Founded in 1942, the ASA is Ireland’s professional body for graduates in agricultural, horticultural, forestry, environmental and food science.
A voluntary organisation, the ASA has over 1,600 members drawn from across the agri-food industry including government, departments, research, advisory, consultancy, education and training, agri-business, rural organisations, banking and the media.
