Ronan O'Neill

Ronan O’Neill is an agricultural economist with 20+ years’ international experience spanning North America and Europe. He has led market entry, sustainable sourcing and product launches that connect producers with wholesalers, intermediaries and retailers across most European markets, and with partners in the US and Canada. Ronan founded Fresh Concept Ireland and works where trade, policy and innovation meet—turning opportunity into revenue, margin and scale. His background includes serving as an independent consultant to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and acting as Chief Operating Officer for several Vancouver-based food and agriculture start-ups, building operating systems, supply chains and commercial roadmaps. He also brings on-farm experience, having provided loss-adjustment services and farm advisory work in both Canada and Ireland. Ronan is focused on the economics of sustainable agri-food systems, including input–output modelling of agri-food value chains. Adapting intensive farming practices to improve environmental outcomes while increasing land resilience and income security for farmers is central to this work. He holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics and is recognised for practical execution: cross-border supply chains that work, partnerships that scale, and numbers that stand up.

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