Bank of Ireland and Nuffield Ireland partner for first sponsorship of a Nuffield Ireland scholar on Wageningen University’s Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme

Pictured recently are Nuffield Ireland Chair Gráinne Dwyer, Nuffield Ireland scholar Kenny McCauley and Eoin Lowry, Head of Agri Sector at Bank of Ireland. The Bank, in partnership with Nuffield Ireland, has announced its first sponsorship of a Nuffield Ireland scholar on Wageningen University’s Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme.

Pictured recently are Nuffield Ireland Chair Gráinne Dwyer, Nuffield Ireland scholar Kenny McCauley and Eoin Lowry, Head of Agri Sector at Bank of Ireland. The Bank, in partnership with Nuffield Ireland, has announced its first sponsorship of a Nuffield Ireland scholar on Wageningen University’s Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme.

Bank of Ireland, in partnership with Nuffield Ireland, has announced its first sponsorship of a Nuffield Ireland scholar on the Wageningen University’s Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme.

Wageningen University, based in The Netherlands, has developed the Lighthouse Farm Academy as an executive learning programme, combining science-based insights and real-world best practice. Through a combination of online modules and on the ground global farm laboratories, the programme enables agricultural professionals to explore the concepts of future focused sustainable farming, supporting the development of resilient and profitable agricultural businesses in collaboration with nature.

Bank of Ireland’s first sponsorship recipient, which will run on a pilot basis with Nuffield Ireland this year, is Leitrim-based Kenny McCauley. Mr McCauley is a 2026 Nuffield scholar undertaking the global agricultural leadership programme designed for farmers and other agri-professionals keen to research and advance best practice in agriculture and rural communities.

Mr McCauley is the founder of McCauley Wood Fuels Ltd, one of Ireland’s longest-established biomass producers. In funding his Lighthouse Farm Academy participation at Wageningen University, Bank of Ireland is further enhancing its own sustainability focus, as total sustainability-related lending grew to €16.5 billion at the end of September last year, achieving its end-2025 objective of €15 billion ahead of schedule.

Launching its new Bank of Ireland partnership, Nuffield Ireland Chair Gráinne Dwyer said: “I warmly welcome Bank of Ireland as a partner with Nuffield Ireland, and I believe that the Bank’s support for our organisation further strengthens Nuffield’s ability to deliver our global agricultural leadership programme for Irish scholars. Bank of Ireland’s sponsorship of a scholar on the Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme also adds significant value to the Nuffield experience, while contributing to a deeper understanding of how Ireland’s farming and food systems can enhance economic resilience while working in harmony with nature.”

Eoin Lowry, Head of Agri Sector at Bank of Ireland added: “Our commitment to advancing farm sustainability practises and future-proofing Irish farming remains steadfast, and supporting this engagement with the Wageningen University programme is a further indicator of Bank of Ireland’s ambition in this space. I want to wish Kenny the very best as he embarks on the next phase of the Lighthouse Farm Academy sustainability programme, and I also want to acknowledge our new partnership with Nuffield Ireland – which plays such an important role in helping shape the future of Irish farming.”

Nuffield Ireland scholar Kenny McCauley said: “Wageningen University’s programme is fundamentally about learning with and from a diverse group of international professional peers. The online modules, which I have just completed, provided a strong grounding in transition pathways for resilient farming, while also delivering key insights into leading global sustainability practices and the science needed to support more informed decision-making. This provides excellent preparation for the in-field, farm-based laboratory work I will take part in later this year. The programme is engaging and challenging, and I believe it will be a valuable complement to the Nuffield scholarship programme.”