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Agriculture & Food
Micro-credentials

Agriculture & Food micro-credentials are developed by academic faculty in the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science. Agriculture, Food Science and Human Nutrition is one of UCD’s most highly ranked disciplines, reflecting the level of expertise underpinning programmes and research activity.

Cows in a field.

In Ireland, agri-food is an integral part of the economy and society. The agri-food sector is Ireland’s oldest and largest indigenous exporting sector. In 2020, the sector accounted for over 6% of GNI and 9% of exports in value terms. The sector employed 163,600 people or 7.1% of total employment in 2020.

The Food Vision 2030 Strategy is a new ten-year strategy for the Irish agri-food sector. Its vision is that Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) over the next decade. This will deliver significant benefits for the Irish agri-food sector itself, for Irish society and the environment. In demonstrating the Irish agri-food sector meets the highest standards of sustainability – economic, environmental, and social – this will also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector.

The UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science is the only academic institution in Ireland that delivers education and research on the complete food chain from initial on-farm production, through processing, to final consumption by the consumer. The School supports the agri-food industry in Ireland by educating students to become industry leaders and by conducting world-class research.

The School has over 70 academic staff who teach, conduct research and provide service at many levels to the agriculture and food industry. The School is acutely aware of the need for both sustainable and innovative foods for an increasing world population that demands more sophisticated food and health solutions for a changing lifestyle. At the same time, climate change and environmental, sustainability and societal challenges are becoming more and more relevant in the context of agriculture, food businesses and policy making. 

You can browse the exciting new Food and Nutrition micro-credentials offered by the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science below.