18 November 2024

10 Things to Know About…Food Security

On 18th November, Teagasc researchers Ewen Mullins and Karen Daly featured on the latest episode of RTE’s science show 10 Things to Know About…

This episode explored the challenges of growing food in Ireland amidst extreme weather and global instability. Dr Ewen Mullins, Head of the Crop Science Department at Teagasc Oak Park, explains: “To secure crop production into the future we need to exploit higher value from the crops we grow. Plant-derived protein is a high value ingredient for the food industry, but is not yet sourced from Irish protein crops. Intercropping pea with fava bean provides one opportunity to begin to address this deficit, with the potential to supply an Irish sourced ingredient for the food industry while delivering a premium for the farmer”.

Dr Karen Daly, Acting Head of the Environment, Soils and Land Use Department at Teagasc Johnstown Castle adds: “About 95% of the food that we consume, comes either directly or indirectly from the soil. That’s a really good reason to protect our soil health. Soil health is key to our food security. We can now monitor soil health using infra-red techniques on soil that turns light into information about each soil sample’s overall health”.

Watch the promotional video below or watch the full episode on the RTE Player.