The event takes place on Friday 8 September in the Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare.

Speaking at the event is Ambassador Darci Vetter, former chief agricultural negotiator for the US Trade Representative, under the Obama administration. Vetter is a strategic consultant working on international trade, food and agriculture issues, and currently serves as diplomat-in-residence at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Other guests of note include Professor Nicola Shadbolt, director of Fonterra Cooperative; Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats; Tara McCarthy, CEO of Bord Bia; Joe Healy, IFA president, and Aidan O’Driscoll, secretary general at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine.

The conference, which is being opened by Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, will also explore Ireland’s global agri-food ambition and will include an executive chair interview with Jim Bergin, CEO of Glanbia.

The conference will go through some of the immediate priorities for farmers and agri-food businesses in Ireland, as well as exploring the opportunities and challenges facing the industry in developing export markets.

The conference, entitled The Future of Agri-food, will celebrate 75 years of the ASA.

Mary Delaney

ASA president Mary Delaney welcomed the conference and the issues it highlights for the industry.

“In this time of immense change in the global trading environment, the ASA is delighted to be able to provide a platform to share and discuss a range of insights and perspectives on what the Irish agri-food industry can do to enhance our prospects on the international market. With a mixture of Irish and international experts from differing backgrounds, we hope to capture as broad a view as possible on what we, as an industry, can do to survive and thrive into the future," she said.

About ASA

The ASA is a voluntary organisation and the professional body for graduates in agricultural, horticultural, forestry, environmental and food science. It was founded in 1942.

Above: an Agricultural Science Association young members’ careers workshop at Citywest, Saggart, Co Dublin.

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