The Irish Agropreneur Series is the first of a programme of online interactive workshops established within the EU-funded project agroBRIDGES. Launched by Teagasc and MTU, the series aims to support the development of short food supply chains (SFSCs) across Europe.
What’s more, it seeks to build bridges between producers and consumers and rebalance farmers’ market position by empowering them with knowledge about new business and marketing models based on SFSCs.
The first event involved SFSC producers and other members of the agroBRIDGES Multi-Actor Platform Forum, Ireland. The theme was’ Running and sustaining a profitable SFSC in Ireland’.
Speakers at the event included James Burke, CEO James Burke & Associates and network manager, The Dublin Food Chain; Colm Foley, Teagasc & Bia Innovator Campus’ in-house food technologist; Rebekah Keaveny, project development officer, Green Offaly and Jacinta Dalton, head of department, Culinary Arts & Service Industry at The Atlantic Technological University (formerly known as GMIT i.e. Galway International Hotel School).
Explaining the rationale behind The Irish Agropreneur Series, Professor Maeve Henchion, Teagasc, said: “The idea to organise a series of interactive workshops for SFSC producers was inspired by findings from the agroBRIDGES report on European and regional analysis of producer and consumer needs, which was led by Teagasc. The purpose of the workshops was to discuss the challenges that hinder the development of SFSCs into viable businesses in Ireland and help producers find possible solutions to those challenges.”