Enterprise Ireland spotlights DIVERSICROP project

The DIVERSICROP project, led by Dr Sónia Negrão, associate professor at UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, has been showcased by Enterprise Ireland in its latest Horizon Europe newsletter.

The project, which is funded by the EU, UCD Earth Institute and Enterprise Ireland, is featured as part of the newsletter’s Success Stories series.

DIVERSICROP aims to identify climate-resilient crop lines and their potential nutritional and health benefits in an effort to meet the demand of an increasing global population driving demand for sustainably produced food.

Its target crops are rye, peas and chickpeas, which have a long history of cultivation dating back to Neolithic times. Despite this, they are still underused in some parts of Europe.

DIVERSICROP seeks to learn from the history of these crops in Europe as well as current farming, nutrition and policy to understand why they are underused and inform the future.

Some members of the group in UCD last year. Photo credit: DIVERSICROP/COST

Through the project, Institute member Dr Negrão has brought together almost 500 researchers, professionals, stakeholders and policymakers involved in archaeobotanical, crop science and genetic diversity, and nutrition from more than 50 countries worldwide to share information and knowledge.

As outlined in the newsletter article, DIVERSICROP follows closely on the Research Ireland-funded CROPREVIVE project led by Dr Negrão and associate professor Meriel McClatchie from UCD School of Archaeology, who is deputy director of the Institute. That project explored how ancient farming practices can help in the development of more sustainable farming systems in modern Ireland.

You can read the newsletter article (opens in a new window)here.