Skip to main content
Subscribe to Irish Farmers Monthly here
Subscribe to Irish Farmers Monthly here
View the latest issue

SETU wins Great Agri-Food Debate

South East Technological University (SETU) won the recent Annual Great Agri-Food Debate, in which its team opposed a motion that ‘people believe social media influencers more than scientific fact about red meat consumption’.
Niall Browne, chief executive of Dawn Meats; John Byrne, franchisee at McDonald’s; and John Murray, director of meat, food and beverages at Bord Bia, with SETU’s winning team. Photo: Kevin McFeely.

SETU was victorious over Antrim-based College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in what the judges described as a ‘tightly contested’ grand final. The team from SETU included Ellen Feery, Brittany Davis, Edward Hatton, Alisha Flynn, Saoirse Cassidy and Ellen Doherty, the team captain. This is four wins in a row for SETU following successes in 2023, 2022 and 2021.
The Great Agri-Food Debate provides an opportunity for agriculture students from colleges and universities in Ireland and the UK to compete by debating topical issues relevant to the agri-food sector.  
The grand final was judged by Niall Browne, chief executive of Dawn Meats, John Byrne, franchisee at McDonald’s; and John Murray, director of meat, food and beverages at Bord Bia. Jack Kennedy, editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, moderated the debate.
Six teams from across Ireland and the UK entered the highly popular competition this year, including teams from Scotland’s Rural College in Edinburgh (SRUC) and Harper Adams University in Shropshire, England.
Commenting, the Dawn Meats CEO said: “It is fantastic to hear lively discussions at this year’s Great Agri-Food Debate final and encouraging to know the future of the industry is secure with this cohort of students. Each year, we aim to address key topics in our industry, and it is a pleasure to listen to students voice their arguments and showcase their deep understanding of complex issues. I’d like to congratulate this year’s winning team, SETU. Many thanks to all involved, including the participants, judges and moderators, for making this event such a success.” The recordings of this year’s debates are available on the Dawn Meats YouTube channel.

Back to business news