S12E2 - How Could We? Mainstream regenerative agriculture in Ireland - and beyond

In this season of the podcast, we’re asking: How Could We? Transform our food systems so they nourish people and regenerate our planetary systems.Host Anne-Sophie Garrigou is joined this week by Michelle Donnelly, a farmer from the Mulroy Meadow Farm in Donegal, Ireland. Michelle and her husband Cathal moved to Donegal in 2020 to pursue their dream of running a regenerative farm, which currently produces pasture-raised eggs, forest-raised traditional breed pork, and grass-fed beef. Mulroy Meadow Farm also offers farm tours and educational programmes.Anne-Sophie is also joined on this episode by Stewart Gee, who works on Climate KIC’s Irish Deep Demonstration, a project that aims to help Ireland achieve a climate-neutral food system by 2050.In this episode, Michelle talks about her journey from being a pharmacist to becoming a farmer, why regenerative agriculture is so important to her - especially from a health and community perspective - as well as the barriers and opportunities provided by regenerative agriculture.Stewart discusses the enabling conditions and policies needed to scale up regenerative agriculture at the regional and national level in Ireland and what lessons learned in Ireland could inspire regenerative agriculture practices elsewhere.—This episode was presented and produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anne-Sophie Garrigou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and co-produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bárbara Mendes-Jorge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Climate KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community. We are here to help create climate-resilient societies and fight the climate breakdown, building better futures for local communities, globally. Check out our website and follow us on LinkedIn. You can also see how we are supporting farmers’ food futures, find out how to attend the 3rd European Carbon Farming Summit - taking place in Padua, Italy from 17-19 March 2026 - and check out our Green Horizons network dedicated to sustainable agriculture and knowledge exchange.