Food for Thought - at Savour Kilkenny

A new addition to this year’s Savour Kilkenny Food Festival is the Sustainable Hub on The Parade.

This Hub will feature a curated programme of engaging speakers and contributors discussing a range of topics focused on sustainable living, tackling the climate crisis and future proofing our food systems. Open to everyone, these free talks aim to inform, engage, and empower you.

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On Sunday, 30th October the Sustainable Hub will host a series of talks, discussions and panels on what farming can do to support biodiversity and climate action, curated by Sadhbh O’Neill, an independent researcher and lecturer in climate ethics, climate policy and governance and environmental politics. 

Sadhbh, a researcher, lecturer, and climate and environmental policy advocate said: “As a spokesperson for environmental and climate action for over three decades I’m delighted to present this series of talks in the Sustainable Hub at Savour Kilkenny on what a sustainable food system looks like for Ireland. On the day we’ll look at Irish agriculture’s impacts on climate and biodiversity, how we can support farmers, and novel approaches to growing. We’ll also discuss the changes that can be made at grass roots, with farmers engaging directly with customers and shortening supply chains, and those that need to be looked at at a higher level with policy and cultural changes in order to position Ireland as a global leader in sustainable food systems.”

Presented by critics, farmers and activists, Sunday’s programme begins with John Gibbons - a vocal critic of Irish agricultural policy - whose talk will help set the scene for the day with an overview of Irish agriculture’s impacts on climate and biodiversity. 

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The following sessions will look at what farming can do to support biodiversity and climate action, and how farmers can engage directly with consumers to shorten supply chains and ensure a better dividend for their work. Policy and cultural changes that are needed to support farmers make these changes will be discussed, and also how consumers can better support farmers that are innovating for climate and biodiversity action. Inspirational examples of what individual farmers are doing to tackle these challenges will be presented and there will be an afternoon panel looking at the future of Irish agriculture, with speakers pulling threads from discussions throughout the day. To close the day, there will be presentations from two growers using eco-friendly hydroponics as part of their farm enterprises.

Open to everyone, these talks are free to attend and will be seated on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Sustainable Hub at Savour Kilkenny is kindly sponsored by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership. 

Check out the full programme of ‘Sustainable Hub’ talks and events on www.savourkilkenny.com.

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Savour Sunday at the Sustainable Hub on The Parade Programme

10am – 11am: Setting the scene: Irish agriculture’s impacts on climate and biodiversity – John Gibbons, climate advocate
11am – 12pm: Farming for nature – John McHugh Farming for Nature and Oonagh Duggan, BirdWatch Ireland
12pm – 1pm: Supporting farmers – what needs to change? Eoghan Daltun, author of an Irish Atlantic Rainforest and ambassador for Farming for Nature
2pm – 3pm: Connecting farmers and consumers – Daniel Long, ex MACRA dairy farmer and entrepreneur, COCOREADO ambassador for Ireland and Vincent Grace, Riversfield Organic Farm Co. Kilkenny
3pm – 4pm: Panel discussion – John Gibbons, climate advocate and Kilkenny native, Catherine Cleary, food critic and founder of Pocket Forests, Tadhg Buckley, Chief Economist IFA and Dr John Allman of the Plant Based Doctors Association
4pm – 5pm: Novel approaches to growing – a look at hydroponics – Ciara Allen of Green Pheasant Farm Co. Laois and Karen Hennessy of Real Leaf Farm, Co. Offaly