A high-level summit focused on the critical issue of next generation farming which will take place in Naas, Co. Kildare on November 5th next will run under the theme, ‘New Blood, Stronger farming’.
The AgRenew Ireland Summit, which is organised by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) in association with the Golden Jubilee Trust and the Irish Presidency of the EU, will be opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD with a range of guest speakers. The EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen will also speak to the gathering, from Brussels.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Only 4% of Irish farmers are under 35, while 37% are over 65. Many hurdles stand in the way of young people smoothly taking over the running of the family farm and subsequently getting involved in their local co-operative. Across Europe, the average farmer age is 57 while just 1 in 30 are women farmers under the age of 40.
The upcoming Summit brings together key stakeholders with the fundamental aim of addressing the challenges facing willing young farmers and finding legitimate and workable pathways to securing the next generation of farmers and co-op leaders.
Panelists will include young farmers, academics, politicians and co-op leaders. It will culminate in a series of dedicated breakout sessions aimed at assembling constructive proposals to support new blood and stronger farming into the future.
The barriers to generational renewal are wide and varied from access to land, access to finance, red tape and bureaucracy. In a changing world, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, market volatility and stricter rules and regulations have added further challenges for young people who want to dedicate their lives to working the land for a living.
This summit will hear directly from young farmers who have overcome these challenges and are creating a future for themselves on the family farm.
