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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed has announced the projects that will receive funding this year from his Department, under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund, for initiatives aimed at reducing food waste generated by food businesses, retailer/wholesalers, or suppliers in rural areas and for initiatives to promote and develop agri-food tourism in rural areas.

Minister Creed, while making the announcement of the successful projects with associated funding of almost €290,000, said 

he food waste project will further enhance the work previously funded to identify, target and address what is a rapidly growing issue not just here in Ireland but globally. Ireland generates over 1 million tonnes of food waste each year. We must continue therefore to develop initiatives to help to address this issue.

The Minister went on

to say I am pleased to support initiatives also in the vibrant sector of agri-food tourism. Food Wise 2025 highlights the natural synergy between agri-food and local tourism. I believe that agri-food tourism is of great importance for rural areas in order to showcase their people, landscape, history and culture through agricultural produce, food and drink, and local cuisine. In addition, it provides opportunities for rural businesses, including farmers, producers and artisans, to develop their products and services, connect with the community and visitors to an area, and improve skills and best practice.

The Food Waste Reduction and Agri-Food Tourism projects are funded from my Departments Rural Innovation and Development Fund and so they will also serve to address that fund’s overall objective of energising the rural economy by encouraging innovative job creation and sustainable enterprise development.

Editor notes:

Funding has been made available to the following successful projects:

Food Waste Reduction

• Clean Technology Centre, Cork Institute of Technology (CTC-CIT) – Expansion and development of the Savour Food, Food Waste Reduction Programme. (€196,921)

Agri-Food Tourism

• Carlow County Council – This Agri-Food Tourism project will build on work funded last year and will focus on profile development, tourism experience development, co-operative branding and showcasing of Carlow’s rich Agri-Food Tourism industry. (€46,550)
• O’Connell Marketing, Sales and Communications -  On behalf of  Taste Wexford in conjunction with Anthony O’Toole – This Agri-Food Tourism project will build on work funded last year and will focus on new food trails and Food experiences/Farm visits, digital marketing and social media and the development and promotion of the events and activities through Taste Wexford which includes various stakeholders (€46,130)