Meath dairy farmer Joe Leonard has been announced as the new chair of Nuffield Ireland.
A Nuffield Scholar, Leonard has been a member of the board of Nuffield Ireland for five years and succeeds Karen Brosnan, who has held the role since 2019.
He joined the family dairy business in the 1990s and now farms 600 dairy cows in partnership in Stamullen.
He was awarded the 2014 Nuffield Ireland scholarship where he explored the area of stress management and investigated ways to identify stress triggers on farms.
Leonard joined the board of Nuffield Ireland in 2018 and was appointed to the board of Nuffield International in January 2020.
Polarised debate
Speaking about his vision for his tenure as Nuffield Ireland chair, he said: “With so much antagonistic and polarised debate on how agriculture can adequately address the enormous climate challenge, our farmers are experiencing huge amounts of additional stress and it is very difficult to see a way forward.
“Never before has leadership been more important in order to meet our country’s climate obligations in a realistic way.
“I believe that Nuffield Ireland has a role to play in helping to encourage reconciliation on both sides of the debate in order to encourage all parties to work together in developing solutions. We need to encourage a balanced dialogue in order to focus on action and ensure the sustainability of our agricultural sector, from an environmental, but also economic and mental wellbeing perspective,” he said.
Annual conference
This vision is further reflected in the theme for this year’s Nuffield Ireland annual conference which will explore and encourage a proactive debate on developing solutions for a net positive agriculture on Friday 18 November 2022 at the Castleknock Hotel.
The event will feature a panel discussion hosted by 2003 scholar Geoff Dooley with contributions from experts including Thomas Duffy, dairy farmer and vice president of CEJA; Gillian O’Sullivan, dairy farmer and veterinarian; Helen Sheridan, associate professor agricultural ecology, UCD School of Agriculture; Kevin Burkum, CCO Global Dairy Platform; and Oisín Coughlan, director, Friends of the Earth.
Attendees will also hear presentations from the returning 2021 Nuffield Scholars including:
Brendan Crosse - creating alternative primary agri-food industries; the feasibility of establishing a large-scale sheep milk co-operative industry. Alex Eivers - efficiency of egg production systems and the marketing of Irish eggs. Ray Ó Foghlú - acquiring social licence to return trees to the Irish landscape.Brian McCarthy - a framework for urban agriculture.
Meath dairy farmer Joe Leonard has been announced as the new chair of Nuffield Ireland.
A Nuffield Scholar, Leonard has been a member of the board of Nuffield Ireland for five years and succeeds Karen Brosnan, who has held the role since 2019.
He joined the family dairy business in the 1990s and now farms 600 dairy cows in partnership in Stamullen.
He was awarded the 2014 Nuffield Ireland scholarship where he explored the area of stress management and investigated ways to identify stress triggers on farms.
Leonard joined the board of Nuffield Ireland in 2018 and was appointed to the board of Nuffield International in January 2020.
Polarised debate
Speaking about his vision for his tenure as Nuffield Ireland chair, he said: “With so much antagonistic and polarised debate on how agriculture can adequately address the enormous climate challenge, our farmers are experiencing huge amounts of additional stress and it is very difficult to see a way forward.
“Never before has leadership been more important in order to meet our country’s climate obligations in a realistic way.
“I believe that Nuffield Ireland has a role to play in helping to encourage reconciliation on both sides of the debate in order to encourage all parties to work together in developing solutions. We need to encourage a balanced dialogue in order to focus on action and ensure the sustainability of our agricultural sector, from an environmental, but also economic and mental wellbeing perspective,” he said.
Annual conference
This vision is further reflected in the theme for this year’s Nuffield Ireland annual conference which will explore and encourage a proactive debate on developing solutions for a net positive agriculture on Friday 18 November 2022 at the Castleknock Hotel.
The event will feature a panel discussion hosted by 2003 scholar Geoff Dooley with contributions from experts including Thomas Duffy, dairy farmer and vice president of CEJA; Gillian O’Sullivan, dairy farmer and veterinarian; Helen Sheridan, associate professor agricultural ecology, UCD School of Agriculture; Kevin Burkum, CCO Global Dairy Platform; and Oisín Coughlan, director, Friends of the Earth.
Attendees will also hear presentations from the returning 2021 Nuffield Scholars including:
Brendan Crosse - creating alternative primary agri-food industries; the feasibility of establishing a large-scale sheep milk co-operative industry. Alex Eivers - efficiency of egg production systems and the marketing of Irish eggs. Ray Ó Foghlú - acquiring social licence to return trees to the Irish landscape.Brian McCarthy - a framework for urban agriculture. 
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