CAP Network Ireland is launching a new publication, Cooperation in Irish Agriculture and Rural Development (2026 Edition), at the National Networks’ meeting in Wicklow today, 6 October 2026.
The booklet brings together eight case studies from across the country, showcasing how farmers, landowners, rural communities and experts are working together to overcome shared challenges. From strengthening bargaining power in the supply chain and opening up access to land, to restoring biodiversity and developing local food production, the stories demonstrate that cooperation is proving to be an extremely effective catalyst for change in rural Ireland.
The featured initiatives are the Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative, the Organic Tillage and Vegetables EIP, Slí na Feirme, Kyrie Farm in Kildare, Éiru Farm in Kilkenny, ACRES and the Breeding Waders EIP, the Dúlra Project in Galway, and the Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-op. Together they show that there is no single model for successful cooperation, and that groups of people working towards a common purpose can achieve far more than the sum of their parts.
The publication also highlights the range of supports available to encourage and facilitate cooperation under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, which has a budget of €9.8 billion. These include ACRES Co-operation, European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs), the Collaborative Farming Grant Scheme, Early Stage Support for Producer Organisations, LEADER, the Knowledge Transfer Programme and support for social farming.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, said: “I am delighted to be launching this booklet on cooperation. It’s important that we showcase these excellent case studies that highlight the achievements of the cooperative approach across Ireland. Cooperation can look very different depending on the actors coming together, and this booklet does a good job of showing a diverse range of approaches.
In my time as Minister, I have been an advocate for cooperation, launching a number of EIP calls and continuing to secure support for the bottom-up approach to innovation that this entails, which prioritises local needs. I have the greatest of respect for the cutting-edge innovation that is taking place across all of our EIPs, and also the excellent work going on through other interventions such as our support for collaboration and farm partnerships, our excellent launchpad support for Producer Organisations, and our large-scale cooperation in the ACRES CP zones.”
James Claffey, Project Manager with CAP Network Ireland, added: “Cooperation has always been at the heart of rural Ireland, and this booklet shows it is thriving today in new and innovative forms. From organic farmers strengthening their position in the supply chain, to communities restoring peatland and new entrants gaining access to land, these case studies show what can be achieved when people work together with the right information, expertise and funding behind them. CAP Network Ireland is proud to share these stories, and we hope they inspire more farmers and communities to explore what cooperation could do for them.”
The booklet will be launched at the National Networks’ meeting in Wicklow on 6 October 2026. Hosted by CAP Network Ireland and running from 6 to 8 October, the meeting brings together stakeholders from across Ireland’s agriculture and rural development networks to share knowledge and experience.
The booklet is available to view/download on the CAP Network Ireland website.