Ireland’s role in global food security will top the agenda at the Agricultural Science Association’s (ASA) annual conference, set to take place on Thursday 4 September at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork.

The panel discussions on the day will be moderated by Damien O’Reilly from the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS).

Experts and primary producers from national and international spheres will assess the agrifood industry’s current state of play while casting an eye towards the future.

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Susan Maher, ASA president, said that in 2022, the global food security index ranked Ireland as the world’s second most food secure country.

“While 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," she said.

“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 added.

However, the ASA president stressed that the 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 to 2035, the challenges of farm succession and much more," she said.

Banquet

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.