Horticulture is an economically strong and important sector for the nation’s health, and for future growth, it will need to comply with certain standards for sustainability. With this view, Teagasc’s Horticulture Development Department is leading two studies to examine sustainability in the Irish horticulture industry.
The first focuses on field based growth and the second on controlled environment growing. The purpose of this work is to develop a participatory and inclusive research agenda to support the sector’s growth. Similar approaches have been followed by the Dutch and the New Zealand horticulture sectors.
These two studies focus on collecting sustainability views, practices, benefits, barriers and challenges in Irish horticulture. So far the field based study has completed 16 interviews with vegetable and nursery stock/plant/cut foliage growers from across Ireland with balanced representation across gender, organic and non-organic growers, as well as small and large scale growers. Results emanating from these studies are forthcoming in 2020 and 2021.
Please contact Teagasc researcher Dr Lael Walsh at lael.walsh@teagasc.ie if you wish to participate in the controlled environment study which is due to start in October 2020.
