AgTechUCD Innovation Centre’s Post

🎙️On the 19th of February, the #BREADCRUMBproject was showcased in a workshop titled "Food Losses and Waste in Horticultural Systems: The BREADCRUMB Project" which took place at an international event hosted by ADA University in collaboration with the University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna). 🟩The workshop brought together individuals from various sectors such as industry, government, and academia to collaborate and generate solutions to the pertinent challenges faced by local small and medium enterprises in the agri-food industry. 🤲Key partners from the BREADCRUMB project, including ILVO (Instituut voor Landbouw, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek), Natura Nuova , Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna- Unibo, and ITC - Innovation Technology Cluster actively participated in the workshop. They shared insights into the project's objectives, introduced partner organizations, and discussed case studies among other topics. 🎯The workshop served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, fostering a conducive environment for exploring modern solutions that address the unique challenges faced by the agri-food sector. #BREADCRUMBproject #foodchainsolutions #foodwaste #foodmarketingstandards #foodchainsolutions #suboptimalfood #socialacceptance #eufunded #horizoneurope #EUresearch

Nicholas Holden, Professor of Biosystems Engineering in the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, has been named the recipient of the 2024 NovaUCD Innovation Champion of the Year Award. His research interests are focused on the sustainability of agriculture, food systems and the bioeconomy, with a particular focus on using life cycle assessment, systems analysis and remote sensing. Since joining UCD in 1995 Professor Holden has been championing innovation and entrepreneurship within his School and College and through his leadership roles at UCD. He has collaborated with over 60 companies on technology development and sustainability assessment and his research portfolio has resulted in the submission of a number of invention disclosures related to remote sensing, two new venture ideas, one of which was incorporated as Proveye, a UCD spin-out company. Proveye, headquartered at NovaUCD is an Enterprise Ireland high-potential start-up which is pioneering the use of earth observation, combined with intelligent analytics, to develop a platform for farm-level decision-making and corporate measurement, reporting and verification of activities related to nature-based credits and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Professor Nick Holden, said, “When I started working in UCD I focused on research and was not particularly interested in anything commercial. Fifteen years ago, my interest was piqued and I completed what was then known as the NovaUCD CCDP, with an idea called AgriTime. I realised then that there was a lot more to innovation than I had thought. I kept working away encouraging those around me to think about the innovation potential of our research, both the things that can be directly exploited through licensing and spin-out, and also the less tangible activities. It is great to be recognised by UCD for these efforts.” Professor Holden is also the academic director of the new Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme (FAST-IP), an innovation and entrepreneurship programme to be delivered annually by UCD in partnership with Teagasc over the next 6 years. The focus of FAST-IP is to drive innovation within the food and agriculture sector leading to the creation of more high potential start-ups and jobs in this sector of the economy. Professor Holden added, “I would like to thank everyone who has worked with me in the past and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with the next generation of agrifood entrepreneurs over the next few years alongside the experts at NovaUCD, AgTechUCD and Teagasc to deliver the FAST-IP programme.” Find our more: https://lnkd.in/e5Aeghpy Find out more about FAST-IP: https://lnkd.in/eysvmcvE BiOrbic, Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre UCD Institute of Food and Health UCD EngArch AgTechUCD Innovation Centre FRS Recruitment Science Foundation Ireland Origin Enterprises Plc

ReThink Food Challenge #Student #Competition! Developing your ground-breaking business ideas to improve #sustainability and #resource #efficiency in one of two tracks: #alternative #proteins and #indoor #farming.

Thanks for this opportunity to present our work in the field of the #FLW, especially in creating awareness, monitoring and valorization. In the BREADCRUMB project, ITC - Innovation Technology Cluster, together with Slovenian partners Green Point - short food supply chain, Mensana and Vila Natura, will look into #marketingstandards and their impact on generating FLW. #BREADCRUMBproject, #foodlossandwaste, #foodsupplychain

👨🌾 In the European Union, more than 11 million farms and 22.000 agri-food cooperatives provide employment for 22 million workers in rural areas, while 289.000 food processing companies employ more than 4.5 million people. 🌍 Given the challenges of globalisation, climate change, urbanisation and a poorly qualified agri-food, animal and veterinary sector, it remains crucial to provide high-quality training that grants new tools to the rural world so that it can keep growing in a sustainable and innovative way. 🎯 I-RESTART has been working since September 2022 to understand how to reskill these sectors and attract new talent to them. 👉 Find out about the main objectives of this project and the conclusions that have already been reached by reading the project's newsletters available at https://lnkd.in/deQckC-H. Università degli Studi di Torino | Confagricoltura | CONFAGRI CCRL | COPA COGECA | FoodDrinkEurope | EIT Food | ISEKI-Food Association | Wageningen University & Research | Università degli Studi di Teramo | Universidad de Murcia | INFOR ELEA Smart Business Academy | CTAEX Technological Centre | UNIVERSAL EDUCATION | ACEEU | EfVET | Association Nationale des Industries Alimentaires (ANIA) | Federación Española de Industrias de Alimentación y Bebidas | Federalimentare | Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España | LVA GmbH | Department of Food Science, AU FOOD | GZS - Zbornica kmetijskih in živilskih podjetij |

Proud to Announce My Latest Achievement! 🔬🌿 I am excited to share that I have successfully completed the "Introduction to BioProtection Practitioner Certificate" course, certified by the CABI! This comprehensive program has provided me with profound insights and practical skills in the field of bio-protection. Key learnings from this course include: 🦠 Understanding BioProtection: Gained a thorough understanding of bio-protection principles and the importance of safeguarding agricultural systems from pests and diseases using sustainable methods. 🌍 Sustainable Practices: Learned about environmentally friendly and sustainable bio-protection techniques that reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, promoting healthier ecosystems and safer food production. 🔬 Innovative Solutions: Explored the latest innovations in biological control agents, such as beneficial insects, microorganisms, and biopesticides, which are crucial for integrated pest management. 📊 Risk Assessment and Management: Developed skills in assessing bio-protection risks and implementing effective management strategies to minimize potential impacts on agricultural productivity. 🌱 Holistic Approach: Emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to bio-protection, integrating biological, cultural, and mechanical methods to create resilient agricultural systems. 🤝 Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Understood the critical role of collaborating with farmers, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop and promote bio-protection practices. Engaging with this course has been an enriching experience, empowering me with the knowledge to contribute to sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly pest management strategies. A big thank you to the CABI for this incredible learning opportunity. #BioProtection #SustainableAgriculture #EcoFriendly #CABI #ProfessionalDevelopment #AgriculturalInnovation #IntegratedPestManagement

Innovation is essential for dairy. From the farm to the product, the industry must continue to evolve to keep up with consumer preferences, market trends and technological advancements. Eric Bastian, Dairy West's VP of innovation partnerships, said, "Ultimately, innovation is crucial for the dairy industry to remain relevant, resilient and prosperous in an ever-changing global landscape." Dairy West's BUILD (Building University and Industry Linkages through learning and Discovery) Dairy program creates the space for advancement and growth within dairy. BUILD Dairy partners with dairy companies and universities across the nation to empower students to conduct research and ignite their career in dairy. Supported by Idaho and Utah's dairy farmers and companies, BUILD Dairy's goal is to enhance dairy foods, processes and farming practices, laying the groundwork for a stronger, more sustainable industry that benefits every stakeholder in the dairy chain — from farmers to consumers. The end result is two-fold, fostering industry growth and developing future dairy leaders. 🔗 Check out this BUILD Dairy feature from Utah State University at https://bit.ly/3wdiS7N. #Innovation #Dairy #Growth #Advancement #YoungProfessionals #StudentFocused #WeKnowDairy

Food marketing standard aims to address "the expectations of consumers and to improve the economic conditions for the production and marketing as well as the quality of agricultural products". However, the food waste generated due to specific private and public marketing standards are relatively unknown. Therefore, I invite you to follow BREADCRUMB project to learn more about the marketing standards, it's trade-offs and innovation for access to these suboptimal products. We, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen and Danish Agriculture and Food Council is taking part from Denmark with other 21 EU partners. Jørgen Nyberg Larsen Bent Egberg Mikkelsen Mukti R. Chapagain #BREADCRUMBproject #foodchainsolutions #foodwaste #foodmarketingstandards #foodchainsolutions #suboptimalfood #socialacceptance #eufunded #horizoneurope

Focus Jadaad Farms together with Jadaad Technologies is excited to announce our current project is in full phase now. We are working assiduously with farmers across Africa and the globe to identify opportunities to promote food security in the world through technology. To begin with the project, we have Ida Addo (/'ai/da) and Bernard Frimpong Bannor as a co-chairs. They will in the coming weeks spearhead this project and see to its completion with their various expertise to ensure the completion of this project. Ida holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from University of Notre Dame with minors in Real estate and Public Policy in the United States whiles Bannor a lecturer at De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, UK comes in with experience in Agric entrepreneurship with his research focus on Connecting smallholder farmers to high-value markets: the perspective of marketing networks. Our team leads from UI/UX and Software development will be joining the project later.  Have a quick look at our project goals.   Project Goals: 1. Empower Farmers:   - Establish a robust advocacy group to unite farmers across Africa. 2. Leverage Technology:   - Integrate modern technologies, including AI and digital tools, into agricultural practices. 3. Promote Food Security:   - Contribute to Africa’s food security through improved agricultural productivity and efficiency. 4. Facilitate Market Access:   - Create digital marketplaces and develop export partnerships for African produce. 5. Enhance Supply Chains:   - Strengthen the supply chain between farmers, consumers, and buyers using digital solutions. 6. Secure Funding:   - Obtain financial support to sustain and expand the project.   #DigitalAgriculture #AfricaFarming #FoodSecurity #TechForGood #AIinAgriculture #SustainableFarming #FarmersUnite #JadaadTechnologies #FutureOfFarming #InnovationInAgricultur e #AfricanAgriculture #DigitalTransformation #SmartFarming #JoinTheMovement