The drive for greater innovation and more positive messaging from the agriculture and agri-food sectors will be discussed during the opening session of the Agricultural Science Association’s (ASA) conference next Thursday 4 September.

The opening session at Cork’s Rochestown Park Hotel, titled ‘challenges and opportunities within agri-food systems’, will be chaired by Damien O’Reilly, EU affairs and communications manager with the Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS).

The session will see O’Reilly joined by Dr Kevin Deegan, vice president of innovations and insight, Valio, Finland, Brendan Gleeson, secretary general, Department of Agriculture and Professor Thia Hennessy, head of the College of Business and Law, UCC.

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“Driving innovation has become a major consideration for farmers, co-ops and food producers,”ASA president Susan Maher has said. “And with a new Common Agricultural Policy firmly coming into our collective focus, no element of our sector can afford to stand still as we plan for the future,” she added.

This year’s conference, will focus on Ireland’s role in global food security.