Research | ReFarm

Trinity College Dublin’s Business School and School of Natural Sciences are leading a multi-annual research programme, led by Professor Jane Stout and Professor Martha O’Hagan, which is being funded by the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Bioeconomy research centre BiOrbic, in partnership with RWE.

BiOrbic is Ireland’s national research centre focused on the development of a sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Funded by Research Ireland (formerly SFI), it connects researchers from multiple institutions with industry to promote ecologically-sound, low-emission, and regenerative practices. Under the Healthy Ecosystems Pillar, Prof Stout leads the Recovering Biodiversity Challenge, which brings together several projects on financing biodiversity restoration on farms (ReFarm), in-setting for biodiversity and carbon benefit (Farm Credit), carbon and nutrient benefits of peatland restoration, and practical approaches and tools for pollinator restoration (RestPoll). Collaboration with other researchers in BiOrbic, who are addressing sustainable animal and crop agriculture, sustainable forestry and fisheries, tools for bioeconomy systems, and enabling actions like education and public engagement, brings additional benefits to the ReFarm project and team.

RWE is the ReFarm project industry partner, and together Trinity Researchers and RWE are doing research to answer four key questions:

How can corporates finance nature-friendly actions on Irish farms? What are the motivators and barriers to investment?
How can financing mechanisms be devised that incentivise and provide long term rewards for farmers, farming systems, coporates and for nature?
How can on-farm metrics align with corporate reporting frameworks such as the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the revised Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)?
How can the pilot project be scaled so that it works for business and for farms across Ireland, and even beyond?

According to Professor O’ Hagan: “By partnering with businesses, farmers, and experts, ReFarm will enable businesses to invest in nature restoration across farms in Ireland by creating an innovative and effective structure, backed by financial and ecological academic research and expertise. This new national initiative ultimately aims to make farming for nature in Ireland sustainable and scalable to meaningfully address our biodiversity and climate crises.”

Research Outputs

“It is vital that actions taken for nature are based on ecological evidence and their effectiveness is accurately assessed – it is not worth taking action if it’s ecologically ineffective – it’s a waste of time for farmers and for investors, and it misleads consumers. We are committed to providing the evidence base for actions, and an efficient way to determine when actions are effective.”

– Jane Stout, Professor of Ecology, Trinity College Dublin