SETU (South East Technological University) has won this year's Great Agri-Food Debate.

The team from SETU defeated Antrim-based CAFRE (College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise) having successfully opposed the motion that: “People believe social media influencers more than scientific fact about red meat consumption".

The team from SETU included Ellen Feery, Brittany Davis, Edward Hatton, Alisha Flynn, Saoirse Cassidy and Ellen Doherty, the team captain.

In defeating CAFRE in the final, SETU made it four wins in a row.

SETU was established in May of 2022, but it was formed through the amalgamation of IT Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

The semi-finals and the final of this year’s competition were held in-person on Thursday 28 November, on the winner’s home turf at the SETU Arena in Waterford.

Emma Forbes of CAFRE won the best speaker award in the final.

Her fellow team members were team captain Victoria Morrison, Anna Jackson, Molly Cunningham, Caitriona O’Kane and Louise Weir.

Colleges and universities in Ireland and the UK can take part in the competition by debating topical issues relevant to the agri-food sector. The final was judged by Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats, John Byrne, franchisee at McDonald’s, and John Murray, director of meat, food and beverages at Bord Bia.

Jack Kennedy, editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, moderated the final.

In total six teams from across Ireland and the UK entered the competition this year. They included teams from Scotland’s Rural College in Edinburgh (SRUC) and Harper Adams University in Shropshire, England.

Four universities progressed to the semi-final stage this year including SETU, CAFRE, University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU).

Advancing to the final, CAFRE won their semi-final debate against MTU, proposing the motion: “The carnivore diet is an effective solution to modern health issues caused by processed foods”. MTU opposed this motion.

SETU won in their semi-final versus UCC. The SETU team proposed the motion: “Regulatory climate change polices are driving a wedge between consumers and farmers”, while UCC opposed.

The debate is now in its ninth year and is organised by Dawn Meats and co-sponsored by McDonald’s.

Commenting after the debate, Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats said: “It is fantastic to hear lively discussions at this year’s final and encouraging to know the future of the industry is secure with this cohort of students.

"Each year, we aim to address key topics in our industry, and it is a pleasure to listen to students voice their arguments and showcase their deep understanding of complex issues.

"I’d like to congratulate this year’s winning team, SETU. Many thanks to all involved, including the participants, judges and moderators, for making this event such a success.”

John Byrne, franchisee at McDonald’s, said: “It was a privilege to attend and judge this year’s Great Agri-Food Debate. The debaters were passionate, smart and eloquent and I am confident that the future of the agri-food industry is in safe hands. McDonald’s remains committed to playing our part in supporting a forward-thinking and sustainable food sector across Ireland and the UK.”

The recordings of this year’s debates are available on the Dawn Meats YouTube channel.