Dr Tracey O’Connor

Dr. Tracey O’Connor is a senior researcher in the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at Shannon ABC, Munster Technological University. Tracey is working on the “FRED – Food Resource Efficiency Decision support” project, which aims to develop interventions for food loss and waste prevention at different stages of Irish food value chains and holistically examine their impact, and “Bio4Africa” project, supporting development of bio-based products from agri-food waste streams in Uganda, Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

Tracey has previously worked on other CircBio projects, including the “COOPID” project, supporting knowledge exchange about bioeconomy development and innovation among European primary producers, “FoodCloud Apple Gleaning”, “Surplus Food Redistribution from the Horticulture Sector” and “Efficient Food” projects, all of which examined the issue of food waste in primary production and potential solutions, and the “Socio-Economic Study of Seaweed Harvesting” project which examined pathways for sustainable development of seaweed industry in Ireland.

Her primary expertise is in sustainable food production, with a focus on practices, livelihoods, environments, and governance associated with farming and fishing. Tracey received her PhD in Rural Development from the School of Agriculture and Food Science at University College Dublin (UCD), which was completed as part of a Walsh Fellowship in collaboration with the Teagasc Rural Economy and Development Programme, funded by Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland.

Tracey also holds an MSc. in Environmental Sciences, specialising in Environmental Policy, from Wageningen University, and a BAgrSc. (Hons) degree in Agri-Environmental Science from UCD.