EIP-AGRI

Supporting innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in agriculture and forestry.

About EIP-AGRI in Ireland

What is EIP-AGRI?

The European Innovation Partnership for Agriculture Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) is an exciting and novel approach to research and innovation. EIP-AGRI is one of five European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) launched to boost the EU’s capacity to innovate.  EIP-AGRI focuses on agriculture and forestry. Other EIPs target issues related for example to healthy ageing and smart cities.

EIPs are challenge-driven and focus on societal benefits and modernisation. EIPs support cooperation between research and innovation partners in order to achieve better and faster results compared to existing approaches.

The overall aim of EIP-AGRI relates to the pooling of expertise and resources by bringing together public and private sectors at EU, national and regional levels. EIP-AGRI works to:

  • Combine supply and demand side measures
  • Focus on forming partnerships, using bottom-up approaches
  • Link actors in different types of interactive innovation projects such as Operational Groups (OGs) under Rural Development Programmes (RDPs).

The National Rural Network (NRN) works closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to support and build networks between Ireland’s OGs, as well as research and disseminate information on Ireland’s EIP-AGRI projects.

If you have any questions about the EIP-AGRI scheme, you can email eipqueries@agriculture.gov.ie.

Operational Groups (OGs)

EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are funded under the RDP and are project based.  OGs bring together multiple actors such as:

  • Farmers
  • Researchers
  • Farm advisers
  • Environmental groups
  • Other NGOs.

OGs work on projects to advance innovation in the agriculture and forestry sectors.

Read also our EIP-AGRI: Ireland’s Operational Groups 2019 Booklet.

The NRN has developed an Interactive Storyboard Database and infographic of Ireland’s EIP-AGRI OGs.

Click on the image below to visit database – or click here to view infographic.

EIP-AGRI OG 23 Projects Infographic - Smaller File

Focus Groups

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups bring together expertise from researchers, advisors, farmers, and industry. Focus groups are:

  • Designed to facilitate knowledge transfer between members
  • Work to collect and assimilate knowledge on good practices in a specific area and list opportunities and solutions
  • Set up at an international level bringing together 20 experts from the agriculture sector
  • Temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific subject, sharing knowledge and experience.

Focus groups are convened over a 1 to 2 year period and each group must meet at least twice a year. At the end of the period a report is completed. Results and findings of the focus group are published on the EIP-AGRI website.

The following Focus Groups have Irish representation:

  1. Agro-forestry: woody vegetation
  2. Animal Husbandry
  3. Nutrient Recycling
  4. Dairy Production Systems
  5. New Entrants into Farming
  6. Mainstreaming Precision Farming
  7. Protein Crops
  8. Livestock Emissions
  9. High Nature Value (HPV) Farming Profitability
  10. Short Food Supply Chains
  11. Permanent Grassland

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups

Operational Group Storyboard

Latest News

Blog Posts

The ARCZero Project – Climate Smart Farming

ARCZero is a farmer-led European Innovation Project (EIP) which studied greenhouse gas emissions as well as opportunities for carbon sequestration on seven project farms across Northern Ireland. Through this project, the seven farms involved reduced their emissions by...

Reimagining Rural Futures

In this National Rural Network EIP-AGRI guest blog, Dr Brendan Dunford, Manager of the Burren Programme, explains that the role of the farmer is much more than just being a ‘food producer’, but also one that deliveries a number of agri-environmental public goods as...

Case Studies

Small Biogas Demonstration Programme (SBDP)

        Project Details Geographical location (NUTS3) Midlands & Mid-West Region (IE) Main funding source Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013) Project Duration 2019 - 2023 Total...

read more

Protecting Farmland Pollinators

        Project Details Geographical location (NUTS3) Mid-East Region (IE) Main Funding Source Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013) Project Duration 2019 - 2023 Total Budget...

read more

Duhallow Farming for Blue Dot Catchments

        Project Details Geographical location (NUTS3) South-West Region (IE) Main Funding Source Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013) Project Duration 2019 - 2023 Total Budget...

read more

EIP-AGRI Resource Centre:
Reports, Videos & Resources

EIP-AGRI: Ireland’s Operational Groups 2019 Booklet

The National Rural Network team at NUI Galway have designed and produced a booklet entitled ‘EIP-AGRI: Ireland’s Operational Groups 2019’ to highlight and promote the 23 Irish EIP-AGRI Operational Groups selected by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

NRN Partners & Funders

Contact Info

Tel: 090 6482744
Email: info@nationalruralnetwork.ie

 

Address

 Unit 2A Moate Business Park,
Clara Rd, Moate,
Co. Westmeath. N37 W9R0