Kay O'Sullivan at the National Ploughing Championships.Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Irish farmer Kay O'Sullivan has reached the final three for a major award recognizing best practice in organics across Europe.
O’Sullivan, from Mourneabbey in Co Cork, operates a highly efficient suckler-to-beef and sheep organic farm in North Cork. Highlighting O'Sullivan making the shortlist, Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine noted that she shows how organic farms can be productive while delivering for the environment.
O'Sullivan is the only person in Ireland shortlisted at this year's European Organic Awards. She made the final three in the Best Organic Farmer (Female) category alongside Susana Vilar from Portugal and Argyro Koutsouradi from Greece.
This is not O'Sullivan's first time being recognized; in 2025, she won the Organic Production category of the Teagasc FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards.
Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, TD Martin Heydon, wished O'Sullivan the very best of luck at the European Organic Awards.
"Kay’s nomination for this award is wonderful recognition of her fantastic achievements in organic beef and sheep farming, and the expertise that she has developed over 15 years in County Cork," Heydon said.
He continued: “It is also an acknowledgement of the strides that we have made in Ireland in promoting women in agriculture, and it is especially positive that this is happening in the Year of the Woman Farmer. Since 2023, we are seeing proportionately more women farmers gravitating to organics as a career choice.”
O'Sullivan will find out if she is Europe's Best Organic Farmer (Female) when winners are announced at the European Organic Awards on Wednesday, September 23, in Brussels, hosted by the EU Commission and presented by Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen.
The categories for the European Organic Awards are:
- Best Organic Farmer Female
- Best Organic Farmer Male
- Best organic region/bio-district
- Best organic city
- Best organic food processing SME
- Best organic food retailer
- Best organic restaurant/food service
First hosted in 2022, the EU Organic Awards are organized by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, COPA-COGECA, and IFOAM Organics Europe.
The awards "acknowledge different actors along the organic value chain that have developed an excellent, innovative, sustainable, and inspiring project producing real added value for organic production and consumption."
Ireland has won once before when The Merry Mill in Vicarstown, Co Laois, was named the Best Organic Food Processing SME in 2022. In 2024, Coolanowle Organic Meats in Ballickmoyler, Co Laois was a finalist in the Best Organic Food Retailer Category.
Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said that following the EU Awards, Irish attention will shift to the upcoming National Organic Awards, hosted by Bord Bia, which will be presented to winners at an event in Dublin on Thursday, September 24.
Launched by Minister Heydon at Bloom in May, the Award Categories are:
- Best Irish Organic Brand Award
- Best Irish Organic Farmer Award (Male and Female)
- Best Irish Organic Retailer Award
- Best Irish Organic Exporter Award
- Best New & Innovative Irish Organic Product Award
- Best Irish Organic Foodservice & Impact Initiative Award
The National Organic Awards are organised by Bord Bia with support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.