Bioregional Investment Portfolio- South East Ireland

Establishment of an Irish land observatory would help track changes in land ownership and stewardship. Particularly as these changes impact upon biodiversity, land values and accessibility for 4 Returns agroecological farming. 1 SETU Post-Doc position is currently funded for 2 years to investigate biodiversity impact of land use change and 4 returns impact.

Generational Renewal of farms and land is a topic entangled with nearly all of our other interventions. Plan-C is a fully developed, ready to test project proposal to begin addressing the pressing issue of transitioning between the existing and next generation of farmers, incorporating and enhancing the well-being of current farmers, future farmers, businesses, land, animals and nature. After the initial 3 year project, we envision establishment of a land trust could be incredibly beneficial.

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Our Farm' is a community-driven farming model in its first test year 2025 on the first location, Bushy Park, East Cork, Ireland. This model, based in the Herenboeren model in Netherlands, relies on community members investing to become co-owners of the farm. Farmland is leased from a landowner and the farm is operated by a knowledgeable grower/farmer employed thruogh the funds raised by member-owners. These are generally mixed, agroecological farming systems. In the medium term, with community support, we hope this model can be introduced in multiple locations across the bioregion. Target for 2026 is 30 households, for 2027 60 households, and up to 150 households by 2028 on the first farm. Funding would cover a machine bank for sharing among farms, as well as an employee to coordinate and enable duplication. Funding also covers costs for BioSEI to serve as the hub for the intervention, including administration and bridging finance for member fees.

The SFI, or sustainable farming index, is a holistic 4 Returns farm sustainability assessment tool. Building upoon the successful Farming with Nature results-based label and app already developed as part of the BRIDE EIP project in East Cork's Bride River Valley. SFI is a tool for farmer awareness and self-reflection, as well as a potential label for 4 Returns farming products. The product label would bring the commercial aspect into the project.

A farmer-led pilot project supported by insurance companies to encourage farmers across a landscape to test/adopt soil and biodiversity friendly farming practices. Long-term goal is to increase flood mitigation potential of soils and reduce flooding risk and premiums.

A local farmer and academic has proposed a research project to develop waste streams of vegetable starch from the bioregion into a rumen and bio-degradable plastic alternative for on-farm use (e.g. silo covering, etc). This project has been partially developed by a University researcher, now ready for further development

Inspired by the 'Weald to Waves' programme in the UK, Nature Corridors is a digital platform where landowners and citizens can commit their 'patch' to nature, in ways suitable to their context. By aggregating all of these pledges and details, the platform allows for visualising the impact on nature and creates nature corridors across boundaries of land ownership and political boundaries.

Multi-species small and organic scale meat abbatoir and processing facilities. Such facilities are currently non-existent, leading small scale producers to try to fit into large volume abbatoirs, and travling to multiple locations for butchery, processing, packaging of their animals. Animal welfare, farmer margins, and the ability for small scale producers to have viability can all be improved. Additionally, traditional butchery skills can be taught and a new pipeline of jobs created.

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The need exists for appropriate, bioregional-scale storage and drying equipment for local grain. Additionally, a new network for connecting farmers and bakers/brewers/others who would like to use local grain

More facilities and capacity development to encourage people to gain knowledge and increase levels of own- and community-growing of food

Multiple avenues for new business models in the uplands exist. Now there is a need to coordinate this process, and develop business plans for e.g. upland sheep farmers' wool valorisation, alternative agricultural business opportunities e.g. aronia berries to feed into existing markets, control of invasive species e.g. rhododendron and valorisation of residues, and more. Specific example here is business proposal for turning wool into fertiliser via a pelleting machine

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Establishing mentoring and engagement opportunities for those in the '3rd Age' (retirement age and over) to allow third-agers to engage in mattering. To both gain new knowledge, and, importantly, contribute their lived experiences to existing and future interventions.These can include a wide array of experiences, from farming and land management, to education, arts, conservation, etc. etc.

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Establishing a bioregional/regenerative/4R/ learning and education 'hub', a base from which to develop and deploy learning opportunities, training programmes, regenerative business development, action research programmes and more. Agroecological farming, land management, wellbeing, social entrepreneurship, upskilling, multi-generational connection etc. could all come from this hub. Inspiration from places such as the Apricot Centre or Black Mountains College in the UK. Learning offerings in partnership with e.g. 3LM, Siolta Chroi, Schumacher college, SETU, UCC Co-operative studies, etc. Establishment as a research-performing organisation (RPO). Publishing research findings, hosting postgraduate scholarships, etc.

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Bring all in the Anne and Bride Valleys together to commit to changemaking, in context-suitable ways. This includes locating a 'sub-hub' for each area, to then testing regenerative farming practices, protecting and increasing biodiversity, removing invasive species, protecting water, and more.

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The Copper Coast UNESCO Geopark is located within our bioregion. The team at the Geopark would like to help establish regenerative tourism and other 4 Returns visitor offerings in the bioregion. This includes partnering with others in the area. This funding would allow for 1FT position over 3 years, plus digital platform for promotion and sale of tourism offerings. Partial grant funding available through Government tourism development.

A core team of 5 FT positions and services, with responsibility to orchestrate both the portfolio of concepts, and the support and enabling platform. This will include work on business development, convening, bioregional finance, fundraising, strategy, systems change advocacy, impact harvesting, storytelling and communications, accounting, travel. Also outreach to other (potential) bioregions across Ireland.

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Arts, culture, and mapping supporting activities for the entire bioregion, in partnership with local artists, mapping experts, and cultural communities. Support and partnerships.

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Bioregional Basic Incomes for up to 50 local changemakers

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Funding to develop and connect with other bioregion-type initiatives and movements across the island of Ireland

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Funding to regenerate the entire bioregion, the next level of funding following on from the current concepts and interventions.