CAP Network Ireland strives to bring Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan to life.
Our scope covers four exciting areas:
Research
We collect, analyse and share activities carried out under the CSP.
Management & Implementation
Through our collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), we monitor, report, and evaluate the strides taken within the CSP.
Communication & Networking
We promote opportunities, facilitate peer learning, knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement
Innovation Hub
We run an innovation hub to facilitate knowledge exchange, share opportunities for collaboration and bring innovations closer to on-the-ground application.
What is the Common Agricultural Policy?
CAP Network Ireland is a partnership between three organisations
The Irish Rural Link is the coordinator of the team. IRL is a non-profit, rural Irish advocacy cooperative campaigning for sustainable rural development in Ireland and Europe. IRL was the lead partner in implementing the previous CAP Strategic Plan in Ireland under the National Rural Network.
ERINN Innovation is an Irish SME that specializes in bridging the gap from science to policy, industry and society. The ERINN team are experts in the EU funding landscape and knowledge transfer to ensure that research has an impact.
Munster Technological University is a multi-campus technological university with expertise in agricultural and rural development.
How is the Network funded?
CAP Network Ireland is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Ireland Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Frequently asked questions?
What’s different about the new CAP?
- New way of working: Fairer, greener and more performance-based CAP
- Seeks to ensure a sustainable future for European farmers, provide more targeted support to smaller farms, and allow greater flexibility for EU countries to adapt measures to local conditions.
- Key tool for achieving the EU Green Deal ambitions
- Ten specific objectives, linked to common EU goals for social, environmental, and economic sustainability in agriculture and rural areas
Why has the name changed?
- The name CAP Network Ireland is more aligned with our partner networks across Europe. It also distinguishes activities to support the new Common Agricultural Policy, (2023-2027) from those that were funded by the previous CAP and supported by NRN (2016 – 2020, extended to 2022).
What’s the difference compared to the NRN?
- The new CAP Network addresses EU strategic priorities such as recovering and improving resilience after the pandemic, achieving the EU Green Deal (just transition to net zero by 2050) and implementing a nature-based model of sustainability based on biodiversity.
- The network also addresses the challenges of our changing world, specifically the cumulative impacts of Brexit, recovering from the COVID pandemic and climate change.
- The Innovation Hub will work to support the development and sharing of innovative ideas and solutions to ensure the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of farming and of rural areas.
- Our articles, newsletters and case studies aim to tell the story of the communities behind the CSP, going beyond the technical aspects of the schemes and giving a voice to those participating.
Have a question? We are here to help. Get in touch with us now.