Image: © belyaaa/Stock.adobe.com
This research ‘can make a real and positive impact at an international level’, said Minister Lawless.
The Irish Government has announced €2.2m in funding for six research projects aimed at addressing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on eradicating global hunger.
As part of their projects, research teams will develop a range of solutions which could potentially contribute to ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable hunger.
SDG 2: Zero Hunger is a UN goal which aims to create a hunger free world by 2030. According to the UN, 9.2pc of the world’s population was suffering from chronic hunger, while an estimated 2.4bn people faced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2022.
Irish Aid, along with Research Ireland (then Science Foundation Ireland) first launched the SDG challenge programme in 2021. The aim of the programme is to address developmental challenges faced by vulnerable countries.
This time around, five of the successful projects are will be focused on marginalised populations in different parts of Africa and one in Vietnam.
Four of the successful projects are led by University College Dublin, while the others are led by University College Cork and University of Limerick, who are collaborating with researchers and organisations on the ground.
Examples of the projects include empowering women farmers in the east African country of Malawi to overcome the gender-based barriers in agriculture, ensuring marginalised communities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to nutrient-rich meals and improving the health outcomes of mothers and children through mobile health interventions.
The researchers will also be developing solar-powered crop processing machines in Zimbabwe, which will reduce post-harvest loss while increasing crop productivity. While, in Vietnam, researchers will be aiming to use artificial intelligence to help farmers achieve high rice yields while preserving soil and water.
“Today’s funding announcement reinforces Ireland’s commitment to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD, who announced the funding along with the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond, TD.
“With over 700m people continuing to face food insecurity and malnutrition globally, the research of these six teams can make a real and positive impact at an international level,” he added.
While Richmond said that investments in transforming global food systems is crucial to improve food insecurity. “Ireland is committed to creating a more equal and sustainable world. Irish Aid’s ongoing partnership with Research Ireland is an important driver of innovative and transformational change.”
“Challenge-based research funding encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address,” added Celine Fitzgerald, the interim CEO of Research Ireland, who said that Research Ireland’s collaboration with Irish Aid has enabled “truly international research partnerships”.
“Ireland has a whole-of-government approach to the implementation of the SDGs and the projects funded today are a leading example of this integrated commitment.”
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
