26-05-2025
DkIT students represent Ireland at AgriNext competition
Seven students from the third year of the bachelor of science in Sustainable Agriculture programme at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) represented Ireland at the AgriNext 'Dream Job = Green Job' video trailer competition which took place in Cordoba, Spain recently.
Lauren Acheson, Katie Cooney, Chantelle Ging, Keva Keogh, Millie Rice, Caoimhe Tully, and Rachel White made up the two teams from Ireland, demonstrating DkIT's advocacy for multifunctional agriculture.
The students took part in an intensive week of intercultural events, educational workshops, and farm visits with other students from Spain, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary.
The entry from Biotehniski Center Naklo in Slovenia was announced as the winner for their video titled: 'How buying food locally supports multifunctional agriculture'.
Speaking on return from the trip, Eamon Mullen, lecturer at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health at DkIT said: 'This was an amazing experience for our students and they represented themselves, DkIT and Ireland admirably.
'The event was a fantastic way to showcase the efforts that the participants from all across Europe are making to use multifunctional agriculture as a means to make farming a viable, environmentally responsible and socially beneficial activities for farmers and their communities.
'We'd like to especially thank Elaine Cleary and all the team at TUS (Technological University of the Shannon) for the opportunity to enter this competition and for making the experience so memorable and rewarding.'
The event was organised as part of the Erasmus+ Agri-Next project which is a partnership between several educational and rural development institutions from across Europe.
Leading in Ireland is the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) based in Thurles, which is part of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
Speaking about the programme, Elaine Cleary, researcher at the SDRI said: 'It is a fantastic project to showcase how flexible learning can enhance multi-functional opportunities in farming across Europe and we are delighted to be working on the next steps, including a Business Incubator Centre to create a learning environment where educators, industry experts and employers can interact.'
Cordoba is located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain and has the unique distinction of being the only city in the world with four UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Most of the events were based at the Galileo Galilei Centre of Excellence in the Vocational Training campus, which offers courses in sectors ranging from agriculture and emergency services to sociocultural studies and community care.
During the stay, the DkIT students were treated to an authentic Andalusian welcome and experienced the rich heritage of the region, with everything from Spanish tapas dining, kayaking along the Guadalquivir River, exploring the prehistoric caves of Cueva de los Murcielagos, watching classical and Andalusian horse-riding, to listening to the unique flamenco style of music and dancing.
The promotion of multifunctional agriculture was the central theme of the campus events held throughout the week.
This approach encourages farmers to combine traditional farming with non-traditional activities – such as agritourism, renewable energy production, or educational programmes – to generate financial, environmental, and social benefits for both themselves and their communities.
As part of the Agri-Next competition, DkIT teams created videos showcasing how farmers could diversify their operations to embrace this model.
These ideas were further explored in a series of workshops, where participants shared best practices, exchanged ideas, and learned from one another's experiences.
DkIT students
DkIT student Caoimhe Tully described the week as 'an incredible opportunity', noting 'it was great to meet students from across Europe and learn about different approaches to sustainable farming'.
'The workshops and farm visits gave us a real insight into how multifunctional agriculture can work in practice,' she added.
One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to an agro-livestock farm based in the hills outside the city.
The farm encompassed the whole farm-to-fork concept by rearing its own livestock and then having the meat from the herd available in its restaurant which is also situated on the farm.
The week finished with a visit to the college's own farm (La Finca) to view the horticultural, livestock, and equestrian facilities, and officially ended with a traditional Andalusian tapas lunch prepared by the headmaster of the college and its staff.
Reflecting on the experience, DkIT student Katie Cooney said: 'It was such a great opportunity to learn about how different countries are creating innovative ways to improve farm diversification, and to also meet lots of different people from agricultural backgrounds.'
Head of Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health at DkIT, Dr. Siobhán Jordan said: 'We are incredibly grateful for this valuable opportunity and enriching experience for our students.
'Sincere thanks to Elaine Cleary from the Sustainable Development Research Institute at TUS and the AgriNext Project for organising this initiative. It provided our students with a unique chance to explore agricultural diversification and innovation on an international stage.'
