Cork's Climathon: Food and agriculture management

The Climate-KIC Climathon is a global 24-hour climate change event which will take place simultaneously in major cities around the world on 28 October 2016.

In Cork the Climate-KIC Climathon will begin on the morning of the 28 October IST and finish on the following day. It is organised by Environmental Research Institute, UCC and Energy Cork to create new solutions to address Cork’s food and agricultural challenges in a sustainable and climate smart manner.

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The Challenge

Cork is the food capital of Ireland with its reputation for fine food and drink. Cork also sits within the “Golden Vale”, an area of tremendous agricultural productivity in Ireland. Cork City is home to the English Market with its locally sourced food and international ingredients, there is an array of unique restaurants and eateries including vegetarian and vegan, and there are food initiatives such as Food Academy and farmer’s markets with organic and local produce directly sourced from farmers. County Cork also has the highest (per county) amount of family run farms, 10% of the national total.

On the other hand, the agricultural sector in Ireland is responsible for 30% of total country GHG emissions while the EU average is 10%. The majority of these emissions come from cattle grazing. Hence, it is clear that savings in agriculture are crucial to achieve the GHG emissions targets beyond 2020. There is also a need to create a secure food system in Ireland since as much as half of country’s food bill comes from imported products.

In the Cork Climathon 24 hour challenge we will define together the key challenges of food and agriculture management in Cork. These could be food production, meat consumption, transport, food waste, water, organic farming, locally sources produce and food security. We will work with stakeholders across the food chain to identify key climate challenges for them and work on practical, innovative solutions that address both the climate change and food management issues in the city.

Our approach will be trans-disciplinary and anyone is welcome to register. Places are limited so please give us a much information as possible on your skills, interests in the area of climate change, and ideas when you register as applications will be assessed to ensure an appropriate mix of skills and backgrounds in the Climathon teams.

Pitching to expert judges

The Climathon event will culminate in presentation of each group’s idea in front of panel members who will provide valuable feedback. The panel is comprised of different science and business experts.

Partners

Environmental Research Institute

The Institute brings together expertise in the biological, chemical and environmental sciences as well as environmental engineering, energy and environmental law. The aims of the Institute are to foster collaborative, multidisciplinary environmental based research through a number of key research thematic areas, to train post-graduate research students for careers in the environmental sciences and engineering and, to facilitate the transfer of technology to industry.

University College Cork

University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland.

Energy Cork

Energy Cork is an industry-driven cluster pursuing coordinated actions to strengthen enterprise and employment within the energy sector in the Cork region.

In partnership with:

Ignite UCC
Blackstone LaunchPad UCC
Taste Cork
Cork City Council
MaREI (Marine Renewable Energy Ireland)
LEO (Local Enterprise Office)
IERC (International Energy Research Centre)

How to join the Climathon

How will you benefit from participating in Climathon?

Help solve your city’s local climate challenge, and make your city more resilient to climate change
Network with local leaders from academia, business and public authorities
Develop your skills in public speaking, innovative thinking, prioritisation, and explore new tools and methodologies
Join forces with other like-minded entrepreneurs and innovators
Become a part of a global community working together to take climate action!