Bank of Ireland funds Nuffield scholar to join Wageningen programme

Bank of Ireland is sponsoring a Nuffield Ireland scholar to be part of a sustainability programme with Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

The university has developed the Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme as an executive learning programme, combining science-based insights and real-world best practice. It aims to allow agricultural professionals explore the concepts of future-focused sustainable farming and support the development of resilient and profitable agricultural businesses in collaboration with nature.

Bank of Ireland’s first sponsorship recipient, which will run on a pilot basis with Nuffield Ireland this year, is Leitrim-based Kenny McCauley.

McCauley is a 2026 Nuffield scholar undertaking the global agricultural leadership programme designed for farmers and other agri professionals keen to research and advance best practice in agriculture and rural communities.

He is the founder of McCauley Wood Fuels Ltd, one of Ireland’s longest-established biomass producers.

Support

Launching its new Bank of Ireland partnership, Nuffield Ireland chair Gráinne Dwyer said that the bank’s support for the organisation further strengthens Nuffield’s ability to deliver our global agricultural leadership programme for Irish scholars.

Head of agri sector at Bank of Ireland Eoin Lowry added: “Our commitment to advancing farm sustainability practises and future-proofing Irish farming remains steadfast and supporting this engagement with the Wageningen University programme is a further indicator of Bank of Ireland’s ambition in this space.

"I want to wish Kenny the very best as he embarks on the next phase of the Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme and I also want to acknowledge our new partnership with Nuffield Ireland - which plays such an important role in helping shape the future of Irish farming," Lowry said.

Commenting on the funding, McCauley said that Wageningen University’s programme is fundamentally about learning with and from a diverse group of international professional peers.

"The online modules, which I have just completed, provided a strong grounding in transition pathways for resilient farming, while also delivering key insights into leading global sustainability practices and the science needed to support more informed decision-making.

"This provides excellent preparation for the in-field, farm-based laboratory work I will take part in later this year. The programme is engaging and challenging, and I believe it will be a valuable complement to the Nuffield scholarship programme," he said.