Patrick O'Dwyer

Project Title: Smart, Lean and Green: Applying the Work Assessment Method to

measure work organisation on Irish dairy farms in the climate smart era.

Overview: Patrick is a 2023 UCD Agriculture Science graduate. With a keen interest in labour management and dairy farm efficiency his PhD focuses on the development and adaption of new international methods to measure work organisation and labour efficiency on Irish dairy farms as previous Irish labour studies have focussed on time-use methods and provide useful labour efficiency benchmarks, such as total hours worked, cows per person, hours per cow and hours per task. However, these metrics provide little insight into work organisation, such as the ages and skills of farm family members regarding tasks completed and hired workers and how the nature and quantity of work changes throughout the farming year. Patricks study aims to overcome these limitations by using the internationally established Work Assessment Method (WAM) Assessment Method, which takes a broader approach to understanding farm work by incorporating a greater focus on work organisation. It will also focus on diverse work issues and the complex interactions that exist on farm workplaces. Patrick’s project will provide a new way of analysing and thinking about farm work that could complement existing data and include new metrics, such as farm liveability. The direct benefits to farmers will include a more comprehensive analysis of labour efficiency on farms.

Patrick was reared a dairy farm in Tipperary. The farm places a large emphasis on running a compact efficient spring calving system. This farming background instilled in him a passion for efficient sustainable farming which has led to his PhD today

Programme Area: Livestock Systems 

Supervisors: Dr Marion Beecher, Dr Bernadette O'Brien, Prof Jim Kinsella 

Location: Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork

Funding Source: Teagasc