Our Food Roots, has announced its support for a lectureship position in Agricultural, Food and Rural Communications at University College Dublin (UCD).

The partnership with UCD's School of Agriculture and Food Science commenced this month.

Funded by industry and national organisations in food and farming, Our Food Roots (initially known as Food Connects) brings Ireland’s agri-food sector together opening discussion into the people, the land, the care and the progress behind what we eat. 

The lectureship initiative, supported through a funding model involving UCD and Our Food Roots aims to equip future graduates and industry professionals with the skills needed to communicate effectively on complex issues relating to farming, food production, sustainability, rural development, and public trust.

It includes a Communications Capability Programme recently piloted and now up and running to help professionals from member bodies and representative associations learn about and deal with the public’s concerns with the sector and communicate appropriately. 

Communications

The role, which will retain full academic independence, is the first of its kind in Ireland.

Our Food Roots has said that it reflects the growing importance of communications in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving agri-food landscape.

Following an open recruitment process led by UCD, Dr. Claire McCormack was appointed to the position.

McCormack, a current researcher at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, has almost two decades of experience as a professional journalist.

She has contributed to a range of national and specialist media outlets including Agriland, Sunday Independent and other farming media.

She has also developed an international research profile focused on agricultural communications, media coverage of farming and public engagement with food systems.

Ireland’s agri-food sector is facing significant growing public interest across issues such as sustainability, food security, climate, biodiversity, water quality, and animal welfare.

According to Our Food Roots, the new position is intended to help develop future leaders capable of engaging diverse audiences with clarity, empathy, and evidence-based communication.

Pillars of the programme

The lectureship will focus on three core pillars:

Teaching – including modules in agricultural journalism, public relations, crisis communications, social and digital media, and behavioural change communications
Research – supporting interdisciplinary research into communication strategies relating to food, farming, and rural development;
Outreach and engagement – connecting academia, industry, policymakers, farmers, and the public through workshops, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge exchange. 

The initiative also includes professional development to support communications training across the wider industry.

Commenting on the proposal, Tom Cronin, executive director of Our Food Roots, said:

“Irish agriculture and food production are increasingly central to important public conversations around sustainability, climate, nutrition and rural life.

“Our Food Roots is proud to support an initiative that will help develop future leaders who can engage positively with society and help strengthen public understanding of farming and food production in Ireland."