Cork University Business School launches WFF Youth Food Lab Ireland at UCC

27 Oct 2026

Cork University Business School (CUBS) at University College Cork has launched an exciting new international initiative, WFF Youth Food Lab Ireland at UCC, connecting postgraduate students with young innovators working to address some of the world's most pressing food systems challenges.

The initiative was launched at the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome in October 2026. The collaboration brings together CUBS and the WFF Youth Food Lab Network, coordinated by the FAO Office of Youth and Women, with generous sponsorship from FDC Group. Representing CUBS at the launch were Dr Chris Moran and Dr Noreen Byrne, Programme Co-directors of the MSc Sustainable Development, Agri-food and Co-operatives.

Connecting students with global innovators

Through this collaboration, students from the MSc Sustainable Development, Agri-food and Co-operatives programme will undertake five-month, practice-based research projects with Youth Food Lab ventures from April to August 2027. Students will work directly with innovators across different countries and contexts, helping to evaluate impact, strengthen business models, support strategy development and generate evidence that can help these initiatives grow and thrive. These ventures are addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges related to food security, including sustainable agriculture, food waste reduction, nutrition and public health, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, animal health and rural livelihoods, and water management.

The partnership, which CUBS hopes to scale in the coming years, creates value on multiple levels. For students, it provides a transformative educational experience, offering practical experience, intercultural understanding and a deeper appreciation of the realities of food systems transformation. For Youth Food Lab ventures, it provides access to highly skilled postgraduate students who can contribute meaningful research and business support.

Students will learn from young innovators tackling challenges on the ground, while those innovators will benefit from the knowledge, expertise and fresh perspectives that students can bring.

The journey will culminate at the World Food Forum 2027 in Rome, where participating students will have the opportunity to share their research findings, recommendations and impact stories with an international audience of policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and food systems leaders.

Strengthening sustainability and global engagement

The initiative further strengthens University College Cork's commitment to engaged learning, global citizenship, internationalisation and sustainability, while helping to build the human capacity and partnerships needed to address some of the greatest challenges facing agriculture and food systems in the twenty-first century.

Speaking about the launch, Dr Chris Moran Co-director of the MSc Sustainable Development, Agri-food and Co-operatives, said:

“We are particularly excited that together, UCC, FAO's Youth Food Lab, and industry partners can empower a new generation of changemakers by harnessing individual potential and ultimately driving collective transformation and delivering tangible benefits to communities and agrifood systems worldwide.”

Continued support from FDC Group

The initiative is generously sponsored by FDC Group, which will fund up to three students to undertake field research activities with their partner projects and subsequently attend the World Food Forum in Rome in October 2027 to disseminate their findings and recommendations. FDC Group has provided pivotal support for the MSc programme since its inception, through scholarships and work placement opportunities initiated under the leadership of Jack Murphy. CUBS extends its thanks to Jack Murphy, Stephen Collins and colleagues at FDC Group for their continued and evolving partnership and invaluable support for this exciting global initiative.

The partnership was initiated and facilitated by UCC alumnus David Giles, currently working at the FAO Office of Youth and Women, with ongoing engagement from Maria Kolesina. CUBS extends its thanks to both for their contributions to establishing this collaboration.