Students from around the country will converge on Waterford Institute of Technology for the fourth Dawn Meats Great Agri-Food Debate on Thursday.

Six other third-level colleges will make this the largest competition so far, with teams from UCD, UCC, Cork Institute of Technology, Queen’s University Belfast, IT Tralee, and CAFRE, Loughry Campus.

Environmental themes will provide topics for the day’s six debates, culminating in the final in which students will debate the motion: “Vegan diets are better for people and planet”.