Members of the Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) gathered for a gala dinner at Parliament Buildings, Stormont earlier this week to mark the 50th Anniversary of the organisation. NIIAS represents the professional interests of agri food graduates and diplomats working in Northern Ireland. Speaking at the event DARD Deputy Secretary Dr Mark Browne said that one of the biggest challenges society faces in the coming decades is the need to meet the growing demand for food.

He continued:
“The recently published Foresight Report on the “Future of Food and Farming”, by the Government’s Chief Scientist, Sir John Beddington, gives a comprehensive review of what it terms ‘an unprecedented confluence of pressures’ on the global food system over the next 40 years. A key factor here is world population, which has doubled over the last 50 years since the NIIAS was founded.

“These demand side pressures will grow as global population increases from nearly 7 billion today, to 8 billion by 2030 and 9 billion by 2050.

“And production side pressures will also grow as competition for land, water and energy intensifies and the effects of climate change become increasingly apparent.

“In Europe today, agricultural productivity is still improving, but at a lower rate than in previous decades, and below that needed to match the increasing growth in demand. In recently published research relating to 2007/08, it was found that it would take approximately 35 million hectares of additional agricultural land in Europe to make up the difference between Europe’s productivity and demand. This is equivalent to a land area the size of Germany.

Mark Browne continued:
“The challenge we face in the future is to develop new food production models based on the principle of sustainable intensification, in other words, producing more from the same, or less and in a sustainable way.

“Science has a key role to play in helping to achieve this and DARD is committed to ongoing investment in research and development and knowledge exchange.”

He concluded:
“Now more than ever we need a professional, outwardly focused agri-food industry that has the capability to address challenges and the vision to seize opportunities. This Institute and its members have a lot to offer in this regard and are ideally placed to support the development of an agri-food sector which faces an era of opportunity. The next fifty years will bring at least as much change as the last fifty, and we all have a role and a responsibility to embrace that change and shape it where we can.”

During his address NIIAS Chairman John Thornton confirmed that agri food output in Northern Ireland currently exceeds £3 billion annually.

“But we must set challenges for the future,” he added.

“Should we, for example, be actively planning to develop an agri food sector with the inherent ability to generate an annual turnover of £5 billion? It’s not for me to be setting arbitrary targets, but given the opportunities that now exist, I firmly believe that the farming and food sectors must put the attainment of profit-led growth as its number one priority.”

The NIIAS Chairman continued:
“In order to achieve this, our young people must have access to the best possible education and training opportunities at third level. But more than that, they must be also given the chance to cut their teeth working in those markets around the world where the potential to strengthen and expand our trading links now exists.

“Once out there they will be exposed to new ideas, and entirely new ways of thinking when it comes to doing business. And, of course, when they come back home they can play an integral part in training and motivating the generations that follow.

John Thornton concluded:
“NIIAS members have played their part in making much of this happen over the past fifty years. And I am totally confident that the Institute will play an even stronger role when it comes to developing these themes still further during the period ahead.”

Enjoying the celebrations were: Karina Pierce President of ASA (second from left), Sean Gaule President of Cedia (centre), and Dr Joan Moss President of NIIAS

Enjoying the NIIAS evening at Stormont front: Dr Marian Scott, Devenish Nutrition; Amanda Keyes, Devenish Nutrition and Charlotte Stewart, Devenish Nutrition: back: row: Mark McGuire, Devenish Nutrition; Alan Thompson, John Thompson & Sons, Alan Ashenhurst, John Thompson and Sons

NIIAS Chairman John Thornton (left), President Dr Joan Moss and Vice Chairman Gavin McQuaid welcome Agricultural Association Vice President Karina Pierce to Stormont

Bobby Irwin, United Feeds; Kate Curran, Alltech and Norbury Royle in attendance at the NIAS 50th Anniversary Celebration

Chatting about old times at the NIIAS Dinner: Dr Tom Morrow, Cormac McKervey, Ulster Bank and James Morrison

NIIAS Chairman John Thornton (left) welcomes William Wilson, Dr Sam Kennedy and Dr Alan McIlmoyle to Stormont

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