SRUC, AFBI and Teagasc will host a series of Euragri Webinars on Rural Entrepreneurship in Delivering Sustainable Farming and Food Systems
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Scotland's Rural College, SRUC, Northern Ireland's AFBI and Teagasc will host the first of Euragri's 2024 webinar series.
The three hosts will each run a webinar addressing the role of entrepreneurship and innovation and its contribution to the transition to sustainable food systems (SFS).
Prof Uno Svedin, Euragri President, said this first Euragri-led Webinar Series aims to highlight and demonstrate the role of the entrepreneur in transforming SFS. He hopes the expertise and examples offered by the presenters will provide participants with insights and knowledge-sharing opportunities on how they might grow and apply their entrepreneurial and innovation skills in their areas of activity along the SFS chain.
Prof Wayne Powell, Principal and CEO of SRUC, said if the Rural Economy is to achieve more resilient SFS, there is a need for entrepreneurship and innovation. He said entrepreneurs have innovative ideas, take risks, and naturally can organise and manage resources effectively. They play a crucial role in developing SFS by introducing new approaches, products or services, creating jobs, and contributing to economic, environmental and social growth.
Prof Elizabeth Magowan, Director of the Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division, AFBI, said innovation, that is, putting something new into practice, can be as simple as developing a novel way of doing something faster, cheaper or more sustainably. She said successful entrepreneurs and innovators are serial problem solvers.
Prof Frank O'Mara, Director of Teagasc, hopes the webinar will encourage participants to create and think about the solutions required to transform our SFS justly. He said the contributions of entrepreneurs and innovators are critical to achieving positive societal changes and said the series will highlight their vital role.
The target audience is participants in the SFS supply chain, including students and those starting their careers, including farmers, processors/ feed compounders/animal health/ equipment providers, policymakers and consumers.
SRUC will host the first Webinar on March 12th, from 15:00 to 16:40 (GMT). The theme is The Role of Innovation and Innovative Entrepreneurs in Scottish Farming Systems.
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