Ireland will participate in a new funding initiative on agricultural biodiversity in a bid to bring Irish researchers together with researchers from across Europe.

The Department of Agriculture will provide €1.5m to support Irish involvement in the new European Research Area Network (ERA-NET), while Teagasc will also provide €288,000 in support, in the form of three Walsh Scholarships.

This is according to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with special responsibility for research and innovation Martin Heydon and Minister of State with special responsibility for biodiversity and land use Senator Pippa Hackett, who announced Irish participation on Monday 21 March.

Minister Heydon said: “This new joint research call will bring Irish researchers together with European and International colleagues to provide practical and policy-relevant knowledge on how agri-biodiversity can improve agricultural ecosystems, especially those most at risk.

“My Department will commit €1.5m to this important call, building on significant previous investment in this area, including most recently The Horizon Europe Partnership on Biodiversity, BiodivERsA+, which aimed to support the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems across land and sea.

Minister Heydon said a central element of the Food Vision 2030 Strategy is to restore and enhance biodiversity.

“Investment in research in this area is key to delivering on this commitment,” he added.

“The agri-biodiversity research call aims to investigate approaches to improving biodiversity at a landscape level, while also identifying the opportunities and obstacles to diversification that can help reinvigorate farming practices for the benefit of farmers and ecosystems,” he said.

Senator Pippa Hackett said: “I warmly welcome the involvement of the Department of Agriculture and Teagasc in this new European agribiodiversity research call. As minister with responsibility for biodiversity and land use, I have regularly highlighted the essential role that farmers play in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis.

“I believe that support for research in this area is a critical enabler for those farmers to implement practices which will enhance the wide range of habitats and ecology on their farms.”

Minister Hackett said that, along with her colleague Minister Heydon, she strongly encourages Irish researchers to apply to this important call.

This, she said, will protect and enhance our biological diversity but also lead to the development and implementation of sustainable and diverse agricultural production practices.