Events: my take-home message
Teagasc’s researchers attend many events throughout the year, sharing the findings from their research with national and international audiences. Here, we capture the take-home messages – key pieces of information that our researchers want people to remember – from recent events.
Teagasc’s Luis Lopez-Sangil (right) chats to visitors at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2023
Benefit of soils
Event: BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2023, Dublin
Date: 12 to 14 January
This event has been celebrated for more than 50 years, and attracts over 40,000 visitors (between students and general public), making it one of the largest events of its kind in Europe! Teagasc showcased a variety of the latest scientific projects and findings from our organisation.
Using interactive experiments and eye-catching displays, a team of Teagasc researchers, students and technical staff members engaged with an enthusiastic public during the exhibition.
Luis Lopez-Sangil, Soil Health Technologist in Teagasc’s Environment, Soils and Land Use Department, Johnstown Castle, noted: “Our soils display is colourful and full of different textures, which works well in catching the attention of the public passing by the stand. Each soil has a different story, with different formation factors, capacities and vulnerabilities. I use these stories to introduce the concepts of soil functions and soil diversity, and link those with the importance of protecting soil’s health to support food production human health and the environment. Soils are valuable resources!
“Using a soil quiz, I can easily engage with the public – both adults and students – as I think it’s important to have fun with soils, so we value them more.”
Women leading the way in innovation
Event: FLIARA project kick-off meeting, Brussels, Belgium
Date: 26 & 27 January 2023
FLIARA (Female Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas) is a three-year project with a €3m budget, led by the University of Galway. It aims to enhance the role of women in rural life, agriculture and rural affairs and identify visions for sustainable farm and rural futures.
Anne Kinsella, a Senior Research Officer in Teagasc’s Agricultural Economics and Farm Survey Department and Teagasc co-ordinator on the project, attended the project launch.
“From the outset, the topic of discussion has been the absence of gender diversity in rural research and how the FLIARA project will not only highlight these gaps, but focus on supporting and promoting female-led innovations. FLIARA will actively involve female farmers and female rural entrepreneurs,” says Anne.
“Building on the research capacity from the EU Horizon Ruralization project,” continues Anne, “project partnerships are sustained and strengthened with innovation-focused partners, rekindling former research bonds and beginning new research connections.”
Maura Farrell, FLIARA Project Co-ordinator, University of Galway, adds: “The project aims to create an awareness around the value of women-led innovations to the development and sustainability of rural areas. Traditionally, rural women’s employment opportunities and contribution to innovation has been overshadowed, and often suppressed, by a patriarchal ethos.”
The project aims to combine futures and case study methods, alongside network building and policy benchmarking.
Representatives from the 15 project partners, across 10 EU countries at the kick-off meeting
Save the date
Listeria monocytogenes in Foods: Recent Advances and Outstanding Questions
Date: 24–25 May 2023
Location: Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin
Listeria monocytogenes is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis. Teagasc is hosting this international symposium, bringing together researchers interested in all aspects of the organism in foods to share their findings, develop new collaborations and reinvigorate networks.
Research partners for this event include Irish universities (UCD, UCC, UG and UL) and the European Food Safety Authority-funded ListeriaPredict project. Themes include stress response and virulence, persistence in the food processing environment, and predictive modelling in food systems, as well as updates from regulatory agencies and other stakeholders.
Don’t miss out on Teagasc’s upcoming events! Visit our website to see what we have planned: www.teagasc.ie