Small Talk with chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group – Dr Owen Doyle

Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group - Dr Owen Doyle

Dr Doyle will serve a four-year term as chairperson of the group and will lead the implementation of the recommendations in the 2025 Horticulture Education Review Report

Horticulture

26 March 2026

In association with ICL

At Growtrade, we’re running an interview series titled ‘Small Talk’, where we talk to various influential members of Ireland’s horticulture trade.

This week’s conversation is with the first chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group – Dr Owen Doyle.

How did you first get involved in the horticulture sector?

Growing vegetables in the back garden of our family home in Dublin and helping my primary school teacher Mr. White to plant up a rose garden in the school grounds in Raheny.

After school my first job was in motor insurance with PMPA Insurance Ltd and then I spent seven years as a civil servant, before I entered Kildalton College to study horticulture. I had been taking an online course to study for the RHS General Certificate in Horticulture. I completed the correspondence course and took their examination in the same year that I completed my studies in Kildalton. Michael Conlon, principal horticulturist at Kildalton College, facilitated my taking the RHS General examination in the college and he created an RHS examination center that ran for many years. On his recommendation I applied to study horticulture at UCD.

As a mature student, I graduated from UCD with a first-class honours degree in commercial horticulture and went on to study for a PhD in phytopathology with Dr Kevin Clancy UCD and Prof. Jim Aist at Cornell University New York. Having completed my PhD, Clancy, a colleague Liz Morris and I set up the BioResearch Ireland Mushroom Research Group funded by the Irish Mushroom Growers Association. I became the commercial manager and then director of the National Biotechnology and Veterinary Centre (NAVBC) and a co-founder of the Centre for Innovation in Biotechnology (CIB) at QUB and UU. The CIB was funded initially by the USA International Fund for Ireland. The NAVBC had a Mushroom Research Group (MRG), a Plant Biotechnology Group, a Veterinary Biotechnology Group and Human Medicine Research Group. At that time BioResearch Ireland was the National Biotechnology Programme.

What was one of the proudest moments in your career to date?

I have had several highlights in my career, including establishing the MRG (that worked on an all-Ireland basis and internationally), as director of the NAVBC and chairing the EU Plant Biotechnology Research Group, an EU wide research initiative with more the 400 laboratories.

Also, as representative for Ireland on the EU COST Agriculture and Biotechnology Technical Committee. Becoming president of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (GB and Ireland) and Ireland representative on the Council of the ISHS were also highlights. However, my greatest achievements were seeing the students I had the privilege to teach, in Ireland and in China, develop successful careers and grow as individuals.

What was one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career to date?

Obtaining funds for commercial research to solve problems within the industry. Ensuring that horticulture is maintained as an honours level full science-based degree in Ireland. Communicating the professional nature of horticulture to the public, government and education policy decision makers, an on-going task which I have the privilege to continue to do with colleagues on the Horticulture Education Leadership Group (an all-island Group).

Could you give us an example of a recent success you had in your work?

Completing the DAFM commissioned report titled: “Horticulture Education Review 2025” with Brian Arnold of Agenda Consulting Ltd. Being appointed as chairperson of the HELG and continuing to support our company’s clients to help them solve the problems they face on a day-to-day basis.

What are the greatest challenges facing the industry today?

Communicating the essential nature of the capacity of horticulturists to provide effective solutions for climate change migration and ensuring the survival of humanity through the provision of healthy food, clean air and water. To achieve these goals, particularly in fresh produce, we need to convince food retailers that sustainability is a real need for all the primary food producers who supply the retail sector. A primary produce who has a sustainable (environmental, social and economically viable) business ensures the supply of safe and sufficient food.

Also, convincing existing business owners that succession need not just mean passing on the business to the next generation within the family, but that they should develop a viable business that is in itself sustainable and can be transitioned to new owners.

What are the greatest opportunities facing the industry today?

Communicating the message that horticulture is the science, technology, art and business of cultivating and using plants to improve human life. Horticulturists and horticultural scientists can create global solutions for safe, sustainable, nutritious food and healthy, restorative and beautiful environments. Also, horticulture has many solutions for climate change mitigation and
the preservation of biodiversity on this planet.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career?

Study to the highest academic and technical level you desire, develop your own professional contact network, join the CIH and ISHS or other professional horticulture organisations in the food, landscape or environmental areas. Charge for your professional services, no one values free advice.

What are your hopes for the future of Irish horticulture?

Currently there is a population of 7.1 million people on the island of Ireland, in the 1841 census there was 8.2 million people and by the onset of the famine in 1845 there was at least 8.5 million. Millions of our people starved to death for lack of the understanding of the cause of potato blight and the political and social malaise of those governing this island at that time. This must never happen again. Horticultural science can ensure we have the knowledge to overcome food shortages and contribute to the financial resources needed to govern ourselves.

We have the capacity to feed 35 to 40 million people with the food we produce on this island, however, most of this is from animal production (food, drink and horticulture exports were worth €19.1b in 2025). We need to produce as much horticultural fresh produce as can be practically and economically viable to provide enriched food security for the population on this island. Ensuring that people eat 5- 10 portions of fruits and vegetables per day to develop and maintain good health and to reduce diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and other inflammatory diseases.

We can create a sustainable horticulture industry based mainly in rural and per-urban areas with careers that are financially and personally enriching. Developing indigenous innovate technologies and increasing horticulture fresh produce exports can in part reduce our dependance on food imports and reliance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) technology and pharmaceutical companies.

The Irish Mushroom Industry is an exemplar in its technological and management advances and has a global reach. We should not seek to maximise the production capacity of all the human and environmental resources on this island but to develop a sustainable industry in balance with the needs of humans and nature. Remember people must eat food and we all want to live in beautiful environments, so our industry has a guaranteed market.

Small Talk is produced in association with ICL, a world-renowned leader in agriculture, food, industrial products, and a top global producer of specialised fertilisers.

Read more: Small Talk