Knowledge Hub

CAP Network Ireland’s Innovation Hub is an initiative which identifies and analyses innovative knowledge and research which may offer potential solutions for challenges facing the agricultural sector.

As part of the work of the Innovation Hub, the team are currently running three thematic pilots and have been interviewing people and projects from Ireland and abroad to highlight the aspects of their research or policies or initiatives that might be of interest. This knowledge will be shared with experts to determine its potential to address key challenges facing these sectors – we then map out a way for this knowledge to have an impact and work with various stakeholders to ensure the knowledge is transferred.

HorticultureOne of the thematics which our Innovation Hub is currently focusing on is the Horticulture sector, which is a diverse, low environmental impact industry of plant and food produce and accounts for approximately 11% of total agri-food jobs in Ireland. Some of the potential solutions we have looked at to date relate to growing media, resource efficiency, circularity, diversification, market opportunities, policy innovations and improving farmers position in the marketplace through innovations in business models and supply chains.

Organics: The importance of a pilot focusing on the organic sector is due to the number of cross-cutting challenges and opportunities it presents, from farm viability to the revitalisation of agriculture through young and new farmers and the management of land transfer and succession conflicts. Some of the topics covered during the knowledge collection interviews already conducted have been practices and methodologies to reduce the intake of fertilisers and chemicals into the soil, as well as examples of organic consumption and production models promoted in other countries.

EIP-AGRI: EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are groups of people with complementary knowledge who co-create practical solutions for agriculture, forestry and rural communities in an innovation project. Our EIP-Agri Knowledge Transfer Pilot looks to source and share innovative knowledge from past Operational Groups with key stakeholders to encourage uptake and application. This strategic process will also aim to better understand the outcomes and any next steps to progress impactful knowledge. The pilot is currently focused on two thematic calls: Call 5 Stream B Farm and Community Biodiversity, and Call 4 Stream A General Health and Safety.

Innovations

Knowledge Transfer Pilots