Conference in Clare will explore how land use can secure the future of rural Ireland

A new forum will hear how all landowners must be empowered to deliver for the public good and lead the way in the transition to more sustainable land use practices.

Changing Landscapes, the first-ever conference of its kind will provide a platform for investors, policy- and decision-makers, and environmental professionals to engage with grassroots practitioners to explore innovative and transformative approaches to regenerating the land.

Hosted by Hometree, the charity behind a multi-million euro plan to restore habitats across the island from Donegal to Cork, the one-day event will hear from experts in areas as diverse as forestry, planning, public finances, renewable energy, conservation and industry.

The conference, which takes place on Thursday, May 30 in Ennistymon, Clare, will take a holistic view of the environmental challenges we face, with speakers proposing creative as well as practical solutions in a programme designed to be both productive and provocative.

It will explore the stark challenges facing stakeholders, emerging financing mechanisms for action, proven projects delivering impact today, new farming models and unlikely alliances of creative problem-solving to regenerate land and communities.

Matt Smith of Hometree added, “Change is already happening. I would be concerned that, without careful consideration, we will see land transition from local ownership to the ownership of funds and corporations looking to capitalise on the emerging value in carbon or biodiversity."

"This conference will bring disruptive thinkers together in a room with key stakeholders to sketch out a new future where communities, the state, the not-for-profit sector and business work together to realise a shared ambition.”

Last year Hometree announced a €12 million euro plan to restore more than 4,000 acres of wild woodland in the west of Ireland. The Wild Atlantic Rainforest Project will work on Hometree’s own land, and through partnerships with existing landowners to deliver the project.

Read More: Clare forestry project nominated for prestigious European award

Ray Ó Foghlú of Hometree says, “The Irish landscape has changed radically, in many ways for the worse. In the coming decades we need to undo the damage we have done, as well as implementing critical new land use strategies.

"Despite the promise of significant public and private investment, key stakeholders such as farmers and foresters are more disillusioned than ever, and some are opting out.

"This conference is about connecting these key stakeholders with new ideas, technologies and funding streams to ensure a resilient rural future going forward.”

Amongst the organisations taking part in the conference are Taskforce on National Land Use Review, The Green Alliance, KPMG, Trinity College, University College Dublin, Western Development Agency, Teagasc and the Irish Farmers Journal

The Changing Landscapes conference will be held in The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on Thursday, May 30.

Tickets are available now from hometree.ie/changinglandscapes.