CAP Network Ireland recently participated in the opening day of the Feeding Ourselves 2026 gathering in Cloughjordan, an event focused on Land Use & Local Food Futures. The morning panel session underscored the urgent need to reduce reliance on long, fragile supply chains and to better recognise and support local food producers. During the panel discussion, CAP Network Ireland highlighted the critical role of Ireland's Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in driving innovation and knowledge exchange, and if farmers are to engage more effectively in short food supply chains (SFSCs), the national AKIS needs to play a role in disseminating, sharing and transferring knowledge of SFSC practices with farmers.
Short Food Supply Chains offer immense potential to provide fresh, nutritious food, strengthen producer livelihoods, and increase resilience against market disruptions. However, to fully realise this potential, Ireland requires stronger advisory support and clearer connections between local food actors and the National AKIS. It is essential that SFSC advisory services tap into the National AKIS to share specialised knowledge with a broad range of stakeholders. In turn, these stakeholders can effectively disseminate this crucial SFSC knowledge and practical innovations directly to farmers on the ground.
This operational need was deeply explored during the afternoon breakout workshop, Advisory Services for Short Food Supply Chains, co-facilitated by the Horizon Europe projects EU4Advice and CORENet. Building on collective learning from these initiatives, the interactive session provided a collaborative space to examine current gaps in the system. Crucially, the workshop was designed to identify not only the challenges but also the targeted opportunities for SFSC advisory systems in Ireland. Participants worked together to pinpoint the specific skills, structures, and supports needed to progress advisory systems and make Short Food Supply Chains more viable, connected, and scalable across the country.
If you would like to learn more about SFSC advisory services or have knowledge to share, get in touch with CAP Network Ireland here.