Minister Heydon has announced Ireland’s participation in feed additives and rumen microbiology projects, the European climate research initiative and appointment of Professor Tommy Boland as co-chair to Irelands livestock research group.

Funding of over €450,000 has been announced for two global projects, which will look at reducing methane emissions from cattle and rumen microbiology.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon said the projects will increase Irish involvement in the global research alliance (GRA) for agricultural greenhouse gases (GHGs).

The GRA brings together 67 countries to find ways to produce food without greenhouse gas emissions. Ireland, through the Department of Agriculture, was a founding member of the GRA.

“Support for these two flagship projects is another demonstration of the strong international commitment my Department’s research programme has.

"By working in collaborative partnerships such as the global research alliance, we can accelerate the pace of the research and more importantly, develop solutions to tackle methane emissions from cattle.

“By supporting early-stage postgraduate researchers we can ensure that Ireland continues to have a strong pipeline of world class climate and agriculture scientists,” he said.

Livestock research group

Minister Heydon also announced that Professor Tommy Boland of University College Dublin, has been appointed to Ireland’s co-chair position of the livestock research group of the GRA.

Prof. Boland took up the position at the recent GRA council meeting held in Madrid in April.

Speaking on the appointment, Minister Heydon said: “Along with his research and teaching expertise in UCD, he has a strong national and international reputation and breadth of expertise in sustainable livestock research.

"These will serve him well in co-chairing this important global research group and ensure it continues to bring together expertise from around the world to improve the climate performance of livestock farming.”

Professor Boland said that livestock production systems play key roles globally in terms of food provision and rural economies, but are facing challenges in terms of future sustainability.

"The Global Research Alliance brings together international expertise and practice in livestock systems to deliver solutions from a global to a local level as part of the research group, and I look forward to the challenge and to working with national and international colleagues to deliver solutions for our future food systems”.

Climate research initiative

Minister Heydon also announced the Department’s involvement in a new European research funding initiative known as the Green ERAHUB, which will fund research on sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

The Department will provide €1.2m to support Irish involvement in the first call under the initiative, while Teagasc will also provide €200,000 in support of two Walsh scholarships.

Opening the first research call under the initiative, the Minister said: “this new research call is a tremendous opportunity for Irish researchers to collaborate with European partners in the areas of fertiliser use efficiency, mitigating GHGs from agriculture, increasing European protein self-sufficiency, and sustainable energy production and use in agriculture.”