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Area of Activity Specic Recommendations Potential Collaborators

Working with individual
farm households
Carry out pre-commercial animation work with
members of the farm household, delivered by
existing food entrepreneurs
Encourage and fund participation in relevant
external education programmes for farmers
wishing to deepen their knowledge base
Provide short and sharp training programmes
targeted at the real and ongoing needs of
farm households, delivered by practitioners
with specic experience and by industry
insiders
Continue grant support for promising capital
projects at a scale appropriate to the needs
and ambitions of the individual business
Act as a local portal through which food
businesses can access external knowledge
and resources
Work at an appropriate and differentiated
level with small-scale food entrepreneurs who
may never scale-up or require intensive
capital support
Farm bodies (IFA, IOFGA, ICMSA,
ICSA, Macra)
Existing food entrepreneurs and
food networks
Industry insiders (buyers, distributors,
retailers)
Relevant trainers/consultants
Relevant educational providers
External bodies with particular
expertise (e.g. Bord Bia, Taste
Council, Teagasc)
Network of LEADER companies
Working with groups of
farm households
Organise and facilitate networking events,
industry-relevant talks, themed discussion
groups, farm visits and social media
Provide linkages and points of contact
between farm households where there may
be potential for collaboration or partnerships
Animate, develop and support regional
producers groups
As above plus:
Existing producers groups
Otherwise supporting
the development of the
sector
Continue to provide supports for the
development/strategic management of
farmers markets and other specialist food
retailers
Support activities and events which promote
the local/artisanal food sector such as
cookery demonstrations, food trails, food
festivals
Support food-related tourism initiatives such as
cookery schools, farm-based accommodation
Use the credibility and on the ground
experience to advocate for further necessary
changes to the policy environment which are
outside the scope of the Rural Development
Programme
As above plus:
Farmers market/country market
organisers
Local/specialist food retailers
Restaurants, hotels, cookery
schools
Tourism providers and industry reps
Other State bodies, agencies,
whose work impacts on the sector
Table 2 Summary of Recommendations Specic to the Rural Development Programme