Nuffield Ireland has announced that it will host a major global agribusiness gathering in 2026.

The Nuffield Ireland Triennial will take from 18 to 26 May and is expected to attract upwards of 250 Nuffield alumni, all of them global agribusiness leaders from all over the world, for eight days of farming, agri-food visits and a major agribusiness summit.

Nuffield Ireland hosted its annual conference this Friday in Mount Wolseley Hotel, Carlow. The event explored the theme of shaping the future of Irish agriculture.

It featured presentations from six returning Nuffield Ireland scholars on the findings of their studies on topics including farm diversification, clover in Irish grassland agriculture, the future of potato and vegetable production, sustainability in plant production, people management and alternative pasture management.

The event, also included a fireside chat on leadership in agribusiness with former group managing director of Glanbia plc, Siobhán Talbot.

Speaking about the focus of the event, Nuffield Ireland chair, Joe Leonard said, “Our theme of shaping the future of Irish agriculture is a good summary of Nuffield Ireland scholars’ ambition, and it is also about asserting a positive approach in an often-contentious discourse.

“Our organisation is built on nurturing and developing leadership in the sector and our presenting scholars today have all shown immense leadership in their research which will serve the industry well into the future,” he said.

Presenting scholars

This year’s conference heard from the six returning 2023 scholars who have come to the end of their two-year programme. This included research presentations from:

  • Carlow graduate development manager with Ifac Gillian Willis on Future proofing people management in Irish agriculture which explored the challenges of attracting, engaging, and retaining talent in the Irish agricultural sector.
  • Kilkenny dairy farmer Bryan Daniels on Clover in Irish grassland which explored the importance of soil fertility, particularly pH, and the need for accurate and consistent advice from advisers.
  • Laois dairy farmer David Fennelly on Alternative pasture management to address the nitrates challenge at the root cause which delved into the challenges and opportunities of the Irish dairy sector, particularly in relation to environmental sustainability.
  • Offaly organic farmer and artisan food producer Margaret Edgill on Agriculture and tourism synergy: Paving the way for farm diversification and rural prosperity which highlighted the potential of agritourism to revitalise Ireland's rural economy.
  • Offaly agronomist Thomas Murray on The future of potato and vegetable production in Ireland: what next? which investigated how to improve the profitability and sustainability of the Irish potato and carrot industry.
  • Wexford horticulturalist Liagh Whelehan on Sustainable plant production in controlled environments which addresses challenges like policy changes, fluctuating consumer demands, labour availability, climate change, and rising input costs.