South East Technological University (SETU) has been crowned the winners of the ninth year of the Great Agri-Food Debate (GAFD), organised by Dawn Meats and co-sponsored by McDonald’s.
For the third year, SETU hosted the semi-final and final stages of the debate on Thursday, 28 November at SETU Arena, West Campus in Waterford.
SETU secured the win by defeating Antrim-based CAFRE (College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise) in what the judges described as a tightly contested grand final. SETU were declared the winners of the debate having successfully opposed the motion that: “People believe social media influencers more than scientific fact about red meat consumption.”
The team from SETU included Brittany Davis, Edward Hatton, Alisha Flynn, Saoirse Cassidy and Ellen Doherty, the team captain. The result means that SETU has made it four wins in-a-row in the contest following successes in 2023, 2022 and 2021. Emma Forbes of CAFRE won the best speaker award in the grand final.
Throughout the day, teams were challenged to debate topical issues relevant to the agri-food industry, consumers and communities. SETU was among four universities that progressed to the semi-final stage this year. The others were CAFRE, University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU).
The 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.
Future
Commenting after the debate, Niall Browne, Chief Executive of Dawn Meats 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,” he said.
John Byrne, Franchisee at McDonald’s, added that it was a privilege to attend and judge this year’s debate.
“The debaters were passionate, smart and eloquent and I am confident that the future of the agri-food industry is in safe hands. McDonald’s remains committed to playing our part in supporting a forward-thinking and sustainable food sector across Ireland and the UK,” he said.
Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, praised the debate for delivering “interesting propositions, lively discussion, and champion orators.”
“Each year, the event has gone from strength to strength and now draws agricultural students from Northern Ireland, Scotland and England to Waterford for the competition. Agricultural students at SETU look forward to this annual event and we have been delighted to host it for three years,” said Prof. Campbell.
SETU team member Brittany Davis delivering her debate arguments. Also pictured CAFRE’s Emma Forbes, who was awarded Best Speaker, alongside team captains Victoria Morrison, CAFRE, and Ellen Doherty, SETU. Image: Kevin McFeely.
Congratulations
Congratulating SETU as the winning team, Prof. Campbell noted, “The growing reach of this competition reflects the exceptional quality of the event and the remarkable calibre of its competitors. It is also representative of the need to have thought-provoking conversations about the agri-food sector—a field of significant national interest and global relevance, especially in the context of critical issues such as health and climate change.”
Reflecting the importance of the sector, Prof. Campbell shared details of two new programmes at SETU in pharmacy and veterinary medicine. “The expansion of our course portfolio offers a wonderful opportunity for our university to meet the needs of learners and industry in the region,” said Prof. Campbell. She credited Paul Nolan, Group Commercial Director at Dawn Meats, for his significant contribution to the successful bid for the veterinary medicine programme, adding, “His ongoing support of SETU underlines the importance of collaboration between SETU and our regional partners, giving us a true sense of the success we can achieve when working together with a single objective. We are currently developing these courses and look forward to welcoming the first students in September 2026.”
Prof. Campbell concluded by expressing her gratitude to all involved in the event, with special thanks to Niall Browne from Dawn Meats, McDonald’s, and Eleanor Kent, Head of the Department of Land Sciences at SETU.
