EU agriculture ministers visit Co Kildare
The UCD facility acts as an interactive living laboratory for students
EU Agriculture Ministers visited UCD’s Lyons Farm in Co Kildare this week to see how cutting-edge Irish research is helping shape the future of sustainable farming in Europe.
A delegation of EU Agriculture Ministers visited Lyons Farm as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, seeing first-hand how researchers are addressing some of the biggest challenges facing European agriculture — from sustainability and food security to climate resilience and competitiveness.
The UCD facility acts as an interactive living laboratory for students and faculty alike, integrating hands-on training for the next generation of agricultural leaders with innovation.
EU Ministers, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, European Parliament MEPs and farming organisations were among the near 100-strong delegation to visit the 250-hectare Kildare research farm on Monday.
Farm demonstrations and UCD research showcased during the visit included Ireland’s unique and sustainable grazed-grass livestock system, competitive grass-based dairy production, Origin Green — Ireland’s sustainability programme for food and drink — as well as how animal health and welfare underpin a resilient livestock sector.
Speaking about the visit, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said Ireland’s grass-based livestock system, underpinned by quality assurance schemes, is one of the distinctive strengths of the country’s agricultural model.
“The opportunity now is to build on that strong foundation for the future,” he said.
“UCD Lyons Farm research clearly demonstrates how grass-based systems work in practice in terms of productivity, animal performance, nutrient use, emissions, soil health and resilience.
“That gives Ireland an opportunity not only to build on its own farming strengths, but to generate evidence and experience that can inform the wider European transition.”
The visit highlighted the role universities can play in turning scientific research into practical solutions for Europe’s farms, food systems and rural communities.
UCD President Professor Orla Feely said the university was proud to welcome European Ministers to Lyons Farm and showcase how research and innovation are helping address major challenges facing farming.
“Celebrating a century of agricultural education and research at UCD this year reminds us of the early State’s vision to invest in our land and people,” she said.
“That enduring commitment to Irish agriculture and food systems continues today.
“For agriculture, the next century will present major challenges. Lyons Farm is where Ireland’s agricultural heritage meets the future of European farming: 250 hectares of rich green pastures and farmland, supporting a diverse working enterprise of dairy, beef and sheep.
“That combination of land, scale and agricultural diversity gives UCD a powerful real-world platform to test what resilient, sustainable and competitive farming can look like.”
Ministers were shown around the university farm, where researchers are progressing Ireland’s high-quality grazed-grass system for livestock, before seeing how technology is helping farmers reduce costs and improve resilience.
The European Commission’s new 2026 Livestock Strategy describes livestock as representing 40% of EU agricultural added value, €400 billion in annual turnover, seven million jobs and four million livestock farms.
Against this backdrop, the visit to UCD Lyons Farm provided Ministers with an opportunity to see how research and innovation are being used to address the competing demands facing agriculture.
Dean of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science Karina Pierce said Lyons Farm provides researchers with an important real-world setting in which to tackle challenges facing farmers.
“Lyons Farm is a living laboratory for agricultural research, allowing us to work with real farming systems and tackle the challenges facing farmers today,” she said.
“From our grass-based livestock and dairy systems to animal health, welfare and sustainability, the research taking place here is about finding practical ways to produce high-quality food while reducing environmental impact.
“We are testing how changes in genetics, nutrition, grassland management and grazing intensity can help maintain animal productivity and farm viability under changing conditions.”
At the university farm’s long-term grazing platform, the delegation saw how UCD researchers are studying different grassland systems over time, examining productivity, animal performance, soil health, nutrient losses and greenhouse gas emissions.
Ministers also saw a grass-based dairy system in operation and discussed with researchers how management decisions can affect productivity, environmental performance and farm viability.
The research demonstrated how drought and prolonged soil moisture deficits can affect grass growth, highlighting the importance of resilience as part of the sustainability debate.
The delegation also saw how technology is being used to measure environmental performance at individual animal level.
Lyons Farm has seven GreenFeed units capable of measuring methane and other gases from cattle and sheep in both pasture and indoor settings.
The visit to UCD’s Lyons Farm formed part of a wider programme for EU Agriculture Ministers in Ireland this week.
This included a meeting of Ministers, known as the AGRIFISH Council, to coordinate EU policies relating to the Common Agricultural Policy, farming sustainability, rural development, food safety and animal welfare.
The event also forms part of UCD’s programme of engagement during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Across food systems, artificial intelligence and scientific discovery, democracy and innovation, UCD is bringing research, expertise and partners together to contribute to the questions shaping Europe’s future.