PLANS to develop a third-level horticulture college in the Skibbereen area are at an advanced stage and follow on a recommendation by local resident David Puttnam that the West Cork region would be ideal as a centre for horticulture development.
Puttnam has long advocated that agriculture and horticulture ‘are two of a number of key issues which will be the drivers of the future in this area.’ He has highlighted the region’s assets, its fertility, its environment and the development of a horticultural college as an ideal way to develop jobs, businesses and to have the ability to plug into and contribute to the world’s knowledge base.
The MSc in Organic Horticulture is expected to be accredited by UCC through the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, established in May 2010.
The beautiful 200-acre Liss Ard Estate has been identified as the location of the college and offers definitive advantages for the project. These will marry well with the owners’ plans for Liss Ard, which focus on locally-grown artisan foods and would add to the eco-tourism elements already being offered to guests and complement the high quality experience being offered at this exclusive location.
Organic food has been the fastest-growing sector of global food production over the past 10 years, yet in the EU and the US more than 70% of organic fruit and vegetables are imported.
Currently, the only qualifications available in the area of organic growing in Ireland are FETAC 5 and 6 certificates and diplomas, respectively. Master’s programmes in Organic/Ecological Agriculture in Europe are available in the UK (Universities of Glasgow and Newcastle, Scottish Agricultural College) and the Netherlands (Agricultural University of Wageningen), but no programme specialises in organic production of horticultural crops.
Research centre
The proposed programme would develop into the first organic horticultural crop research centre in Ireland, providing a steady stream of research results of direct relevance to organic growing. This proposed MSc programme fits well with on-going UCC initiatives, such as the short-course Artisan Food Summer School run by the Food Industry Training Unit. It would establish a world-class graduate training and research centre in a niche market.
‘Pathways for Growth,’ the Harvard Business School report commissioned by An Bord Bia, highlighted that food production in Ireland in the next five to ten years is best-placed for premium (such as organic), rather than commodity markets.
The report also emphasised the need for innovation in the development of food products, including the involvement of scientists. This report, together with the Irish Government reports on internationalisation and Food Harvest 2020, provide the impetus to advancing the concept of this graduate school.
West Cork is renowned as the seedbed of the artisan food movement and the organic movement, so is an ideal location for the development of such a post graduate course.
The region enjoys a temperate climate, the Gulf Stream fanning its shores with the resulting (normally) mild winters, providing the opportunity for year round production.
The horticulture college has been supported since the beginning of this year by the Carbery Enterprise Group (CEG).This is a group of concerned local people, all volunteers, whose mission is to secure sustainable jobs for the region in the areas of food and energy and they may be contacted at info@carberyenterprise.com or on 087-2222462.
Source: Southern Star – Skibbereen Third-Level College Plans
