Attending the NISCA Conference DAERA Minister Muir with CAFRE BSc (Hons) Degree in Food Business Management students Sarah McKeegan (Ballymena), Molly Cunningham (Cookstown), Anna Jackson (Ballyclare), Emily Clarke (Omagh) and Lauren Waddell (Jerretspass) pictured with Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director of NIFDA and Fintan McCann, Head of Food Education, CAFRE.
College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Food students have attended the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) Annual Conference with Minister Muir.
A selection of Loughry Campus BSc (Hons) Degree in Food Business Management students spent a very informative day listening to discussions around challenges and opportunities facing the food and drink industry and the wider ’eating ecosystem’.
The event, sponsored in partnership with the Food Standards Agency and Invest Northern Ireland brought together industry, government, and academia. It provided a valuable platform for networking, engagement and collaboration. Sessions covered topics including investment, growth, sustainability, advanced innovation and retail and market trends.
Minister Muir opened the conference and said:
“I believe in the quality of Northern Ireland (NI) produce. I am proud of the vision for the sector set out in NI Food Strategy Framework. An environmentally sustainable approach that protects and enhances our natural resources for future generations, whilst being economically ambitious and providing safe nutritionally balanced accessible food for all.”
Fintan McCann, Head of Food Education at CAFRE commented:
“The Northern Ireland food industry is made up of significant business who employ over 25,000 people in food and drink manufacturing. With the challenges of climate change regulation, the industry will need talented graduates to promote sustainability, competitiveness, innovation and resilience.”
CAFRE delivers a suite of Food Education programmes at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.
The college has recently introduced a new BSc (Hons) Degree in Sustainable Agri-Food Management. It is an interdisciplinary course which offers career opportunities for students with an interest in supply chain management, sustainability and business.
“Graduates of the Sustainable Agri-Food Degree will be well-positioned for a wide range of impactful careers, including those within measuring and reporting sustainability metrics, food security, research and innovation. Not only does the qualification aim to open doors to diverse career paths it also offers learners satisfaction knowing they can contribute to solutions that benefit people and the planet,” added Mr McCann.
If you or someone you know thrives in a team environment, seeks a non-desk-bound career, enjoys practical problem-solving, values travel opportunities, and desires a challenging, yet rewarding career with promising job prospects, consider studying at Loughry Campus.
The college offers full-time and work-based Food courses from Level 2 Apprenticeships through to Honours Degree courses.
The campus is hosting an Open Day on Tuesday, 25 March. Book to join us, visit: www.cafre.ac.uk for event and course information.