About Us

Creating a national awareness of the value of modern agriculture and farming, the stewardship of the rural environment, animal welfare and the benefits of nutritious Irish food.

Our History

Agri Aware is an Irish agri-food educational body. Since 1996, it has been on a mission to enhance agricultural literacy among the non-farming community in Ireland.

A number of leading agri-food businesses recognised the need for an independent body to inform and educate the general public on the importance of agriculture and food to the Irish economy. In the early 1990s, confidence in the agri-food industry was damaged. Animal health concerns brought risks to consumers, most notably the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, otherwise known as ‘mad cow disease’. The founding of Agri Aware was an opportunity to restore certainty through education and experiential learning.

Facing the challenges of our times

The BSE crisis may be well behind us but we believe our programmes at Agri Aware are needed now more than ever as more and more people become generationally distanced from farming and agriculture in Ireland. Climate change policies require farmers to achieve environmental targets, while still maintaining levels of food production to keep their business viable. All this at a time of high input costs.

The agri-food industry, as a link in a chain with farmers to get food on to your table, not only absorb the challenges faced by farmers, but also faces its own across the disciplines that have been built to strengthen the image of Irish food at home and abroad.

Over 50 patrons from the Irish agri-food industry trust in Agri Aware to promote the efforts of primary producers to provide excellent quality food for the consumer.

Supporting the farmer, the consumer and the industry

Agri Aware is governed by its Board of Directors and its staff, led by the Chairman and Executive Director of the organisation, in achieving its objectives:

To improve the image of the agriculture, farming and food industries
To promote greater awareness among the non-farming community of modern agriculture, the rural environment, animal welfare, food quality and safety
To heighten farmer awareness of the importance of best farming practices in the protection of the environment, animal welfare and food safety
To provide information about agriculture and food in schools nationwide to inform the non-farming community about the crucial role that the farming and agri-food industry play in the Irish economy

As mentioned, Agri Aware is needed now more than ever.

Today Agri Aware is building a more informed and engaged public through:

In doing so, Agri Aware is contributing to creating a more sustainable and resilient food system for Ireland’s future.

Our History

In 1996, a number of leading agri-food businesses identified the need for an independent body to provide the general public with information and education on the importance of agriculture and food to the Irish economy.

As a result, Agri Aware was founded in 1996 by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the Irish Farmers’ Journal, FBD Trust, Bord Bia and Ornua (formerly the Irish dairy board). Agri Aware is a charitable trust that is funded by the farming and agri-food industry (see patrons for details).

To convey the importance of the agri-food industry amongst the general public, Agri Aware delivers high impact educational and public awareness initiatives and projects for students and the general public.

Our Objectives

To improve the image of the agriculture, farming and food industries

To promote greater awareness among the non-farming community of modern agriculture, the rural environment, animal welfare, food quality and safety

To heighten farmer awareness of the importance of best farming practices in the protection of the environment, animal welfare and food safety

To provide information about agriculture and food in schools nationwide to inform the non-farming community about the crucial role that the farming and agri-food industry play in the Irish economy