County Derry dairy farm selected as global showcase for international agri-summit

Ireland will take centre stage in global agriculture on Friday, May 22 2026, when it hosts the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit at Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. It will be the highlight of the 14th Nuffield Triennial, a nine-day study tour hosted by Nuffield Ireland for Nuffield Irish and International alumni around the island of Ireland.

The Derry-based Hugh Harbison Dairy Farm will be holding a talk and tour as part of the Triennial.

Led by Nuffield Ireland, as part of the global Nuffield International network, encompassing over 1,700 scholars from sixteen countries, this unique event will bring together a global cohort of Nuffield leaders alongside a substantial gathering of senior figures from agribusiness, policy, and economics.

The summit will be one of the most significant global agriculture forums of 2026, attended by more than 300 delegates and featuring top level speakers from Ireland and overseas. 

Internationally renowned economist David McWilliams has been confirmed as the headline speaker. An Adjunct Professor of Global Economics at Trinity College Dublin, author and podcaster, Mr. McWilliams is widely respected for his incisive analysis of global economic trends and their effects on societies and industries. His address will offer a macroeconomic perspective on food security, trade dynamics, and global responsibility.

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The summit programme will also feature a distinguished line up of Irish and International speakers and panelists, including: Simon Coveney, former Tánaiste and former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Ksenija Simovic, Senior Policy Advisor, Copa-Cogeca, Brussels; Marie Donnelly, Chairperson, Climate Change Advisory Council; and Professor Rogier Schulte, Chair of Future Farming & Food Systems, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Speaking ahead of the event, newly appointed Chair of Nuffield Ireland and Ireland’s first ever female Nuffield Scholar, Gráinne Dwyer said: “Hosting the Agri-Summit is a defining moment for Ireland. As a small nation with a global agricultural footprint, we sit at the intersection of innovation, responsibility and opportunity. The challenges facing global food security are immense, but so is our capacity to shape real solutions.

"This Summit will confront the toughest questions facing modern agriculture with voices that challenge convention and demand serious reflection. Expect rigorous debate, uncomfortable truths, and a speaker line-up that goes beyond the usual agri circuit.  Our Agri-Summit is designed to test assumptions and sharpen leadership thinking, to forge together a sustainable path for global agriculture in an uncertain world”

Chair of the FBD Trust, Michael Berkery, added: “As founder Investor of Nuffield Ireland we are delighted and proud to sponsor the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit, a groundbreaking event in Ireland’s agricultural calendar.  We have long taken the view that Nuffield Ireland, and the Nuffield global agricultural leadership development programme it brings to Irish farmers and other agri-professionals, are perfectly aligned with the values and mission of the FBD Trust.  

"We look forward to welcoming international alumni and Irish agricultural stakeholders to this exceptional event”

Under the theme “Feed the World – Our Responsibility?,” the summit will address the urgent and complex pressures facing global food systems including:

• the responsibilities of food producing nations
• the balance between domestic sustainability targets and global needs and obligations
• the role of multinational agri food corporates
• how geopolitics are reshaping agri-food, as food security is increasingly recognised as integral to national and global security
• the impact of managing geoeconomic risks such as migration, labour markets, and demand patterns.