Value is key for dairy industry
It’s a time of flux for the dairy industry in Ireland and one expert believes its future success is dependent on the sector adopting a ‘value not volume’ approach to production.
Seamus O’Mahony makes the prediction as he takes up his new role as Professor of Dairy Science at UCC, Ireland’s leading university for producing graduates in the sector.
“Securing a sustainable future for the Irish dairy industry will require a shift in focus away from volume-based expansion to science-based value-add. Greater investment in fundamental dairy science will attract the types of skilled researchers and professionals required to achieve this transition,” Prof. O’Mahony said.
Dairy is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, worth about €16bn in economic value across the island, and provides employment to about 85,000 people.
UCC has a long history in dairy science education, research and training, and is the number 1 university for dairy science in Ireland. The Food Science and Nutritional Sciences programmes at UCC, located within the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS), are among the main providers of graduates for the dairy sector.
Responding to the evolving needs of the dairy sector, and harnessing the world-class capabilities in food across the university, Seamus led the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Dairy Science at the UCC School of Food and Nutritional Sciences in 2021 to provide leadership, integration and a platform for future growth. In the past year, he has led the introduction of new employment-based post-graduate research programmes in dairy ingredients and processing in partnership with Irish and international dairy companies, and the introduction of a new Diploma in Dairy Technology and Innovation.
Commenting on the new appointment, Professor Mairead Kiely, Head of School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, said: “We are delighted to announce Seamus’s appointment to Professor, which consolidates his leadership role in Dairy Science at UCC. Together with Professor Alan Kelly, our recently appointed lecturer Dr Tom O’Callaghan and planned appointments in the areas of sustainable dairy processing and dairy nutritional ingredients, UCC is well-placed to take a lead role in research, education and training of the next generation of innovators in the dairy sector.”
Exciting initiatives are planned across the areas of nutritional dairy ingredients, sustainable dairy processing, dairy alternative systems and formulation science for value-add. Immediate priorities involve recruitment of new academic staff in dairy processing, sustainability, nutrition and health, to bring the total number of academics focused on dairy science at UCC to six. This will happen through the UCC Futures programme which is focused on securing our future through research excellence.
“The scope of what we do in dairy science is expanding to include research on alternative dairy products, hybrid dairy food systems and cellular agriculture in responding to consumer demand and in formulating climate-smart food systems.’’
Professor John O’Halloran, UCC President, said: “Recognising expertise such as Seamus’ is core to our UCC Futures initiative, which will support innovation and translate sector-leading research into real solutions to meet the challenges facing our society. Food security, production, and value are key issues that leading experts such as Seamus are well-positioned to tackle.”