Irish FAN
The 1st meeting of the Irish Forest and Agriculture Network (FAN) was held on 23rd April 2024 at Teagasc Johnstown Castle Research Centre. The 4-hour workshop was organised by Teagasc, in collaboration with Munster Technological University (MTU), and aimed at the identification of regional needs and challenges regarding Bio-Based Technologies (BBTs). The 16 participants, ranging from farmers and foresters to industry partners and researchers, discussed primary producers’ needs with regards to biomass processing and technology availability and pinpointed the dissemination channels they mainly use. The discussion also included social aspects, e.g. on introducing initiatives to attract women, the unemployed and youth to the area to develop skills in the sectors of forestry and agriculture.
Meeting highlights
Resources: Cattle slurry, pig and poultry manure, and sludges from dairy and brewery processing were identified as available resources in the region along with tree branches and by-products of timber harvesting.
Needs: Making processes more circular, slurry separation, and associated equipment were identified as key needs in the region. Improved forestry equipment to collect by-products from tree thinning/felling, anaerobic digesters and processing equipment were identified as key infrastructure needed in the region.
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