Minister Hackett opens BioFarm 2022 Conference in Carrick-on-Shannon
National Organic Training Skillnet (NOTS), a not-for-profit network specialising in training for the rapidly expanding organic and regenerative farming sectors, was delighted to welcome Minister Pippa Hackett to open its fifth annual Biological Farming Conference - BioFarm 2022. The conference will take place across five days from November 7th - 11th 2022 in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, with both virtual and in-person ticket options available.
Over the five days, more than 25 renowned Irish and international speakers will present to delegates, including experts from Australia, the USA and the UK. The conference will focus on Biological and Regenerative Farming. Each day a different theme will be covered, and the speakers will explore a number of key issues facing the farming sector, including climate change, carbon sequestration, rising input costs, and farm profitability.
Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine commented: “I am delighted to see the fifth year of the BioFarm conference taking place with a significant contribution from experts on critical areas including soil health, regenerative farming, and many other topics. The hosting and organisation of BioFarm by National Organic Training Skillnet is a key event for those in the sector to keep up to date on the latest developments and innovations in this constantly evolving and challenging time for farming. As an organic farmer myself I know the value of keeping up with latest developments and the critical role shared information plays to help us all farm in the best way possible. I look forward to not only contributing to the conference but learning from others attending too.”
Commenting on BioFarm 2022, Sean McGloin, Network Manager at the National Organic Training Skillnet said: “We are packing all five days with quality speakers from both the academic fields as well as working farmers from Ireland and further afield, and we will cover as many aspects of biological, regenerative, and organic farming as we can. We see these practices as central to the future of farming in Ireland, and hopefully we can inspire farmers in Ireland to get on board with these methods. Everything is on the table in agriculture at the moment, especially from a climate change mitigation standpoint. The experts, academics, and farmers at BioFarm 2022 are at the forefront of this thinking.”
Paul Healy, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland said: “Ireland’s organic and regenerative farming sectors are growing significantly and BioFarm 2022 examines innovative ways businesses can navigate the immediate challenges facing the industry.
“Skillnet Ireland play a pivotal role in developing the talent and expertise needed by the agri-food sector in meeting the targets of the Government’s Climate Action Plan. We provide upskilling programmes to over 2,200 companies within the agri-food sector each year and look forward to working with the National Organic Training Skillnet and industry leaders as we develop more initiatives in the future.”
The hybrid event will feature live-streamed presentations from leading industry experts, roundtable panel discussions, and interactive question and answer sessions where participants can engage directly with the speakers.
“The COVID situation has provided us with an opportunity to attract a ‘who’s-who’ of biological and regenerative agriculture. Even though most of the overseas speakers will be conferencing in from around the world, we will have at least 15 minutes at the end of each presentation where delegates can ask questions,” Sean McGloin added.
The event combines scientific and academic thinking with real-life farm practitioners here in Ireland. Dr Elaine Ingham, founder of the Soil Food Web, will be speaking on Monday 7th, with Irish dairy farmer James Foley speaking on Thursday, showcasing the breadth of knowledge from the science-based innovation, to farmers who are practicing these methods on the ground here in Ireland.
“BioFarm is an opportunity for science to meet practical farming to understand how working with soil health can reduce input costs while increasing incomes for both organic and non-organic farmers,” added McGloin.
Online tickets available for just €50 for Irish residents, which includes live attendance and lifetime access to recordings. A limited number of in-person audience packages are available which includes a five day all access online ticket, plus one night’s B&B with an evening meal in the Landmark Hotel.
For those interested in attending, either in-person or via the online streaming service, go to www.nots.ie , email [email protected], or call the NOTS office on 0719640688.