Many congratulations to our colleague Dr. Karen Keaveney, Associate Professor of Rural Development, who was part of a very special event yesterday at the Institute of International and European Affairs @iiea Karen shared the stage with former President Mary Robinson who gave the keynote address on 'Women Farmers as Agents of the Change we need in Farming'. This was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and featured Hannah Quinn-Mulligan, Aoife Franklyn, Mary Robinson and Karen Keaveney. Opening with a verse of Eavan Boland's poem 'Our Future Will Become the Past of Other Women', Dr Robinson spoke about the role women across the world play in agricultural - often unseen and unrewarded - but how they are also agents of change for a more sustainable, resilient and equitable farming future. #MnánahÉireann

Professor Karina Pierce, Associate Professor Alan Kelly, Associate Professor Zoe McKay, Professor Tommy Boland from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and Mick Houlihan from @Bordbia Origin Green talk here as UCD Lyons Farm welcomed Agriculture Ministers from all 27 EU Member States, Commissioner Christophe Hansen and Minister Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for a visit showcasing research and innovation addressing the future of European agriculture.

Many congratulations to Professor Olaf Schmidt who has been announced as one of the new Fellows of the British Ecological Society. Along with the other fellows, he brings a wide range of expertise and has dedicated his career to advancing the evolving field of ecology. This year’s cohort includes pioneers and leaders in ecology. Among the newly elected Fellows are leading voices who are working at the nexus of policy and biodiversity, practitioners, and those empowering the next generation of ecologists. Professor Olaf Schmidt holds a PhD in soil ecology (UCD), an MSc in soil science (University of Aberdeen), and a 5-year German degree in agricultural sciences (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg). His main research interests are in the ecology, biodiversity, and biochemistry of soils, with other active research interests in pest management, invasive species, tick ecology, and meat authentication and livestock traceability using stable isotope ratio techniques. His teaching is in the areas of agri-environmental sciences and policy, agricultural zoology, and research skills. britishecologicalsociety.org…

The 20th International Conference on Animal Reproduction (ICAR), an international conference dealing with the breeding and reproductive engineering of livestock and wild animals, opened in Obihiro City on the 23rd of June. This highly prestigious event only happens every four years; often called the "Olympics of Reproductive Science," and this year in Obihiro, it is the first time the conference was held in Asia. Approximately 1,070 delegates; researchers, scientists and students from 54 Countries from across the world gathered to share the latest advances in reproductive science. At a pre-symposium Professor of Animal Reproduction, Dr. Pat Lonergan and Associate Professor in Animal Science, Dr. Alan Kelly from UCD presented their expertise under the title of the symposium; "Beef on Dairy" - Impact of Research and Technological Advances in Animal Reproduction on the Cattle Industry'. Read more at: ucd.ie/agfood/newsandevents/…