Bord Bia 2020 National Organic Awards Winners Announced
2nd November 2020
James Keyes, Small Business, Bord Bia - The Irish Food Board
On October 21st, replacing the physical bi-annual event, a celebration of Irish Organic food and drink took place when the 2020 National Organic Awards winners were announced through Bord Bia’s social media channels. There were seven award categories including Retail, Private Label Retail, New and Innovative, Export, E-Commerce, Marketing Campaign, and Business in the Community with each winner receiving a digital marketing prize to the value of €5,000.
Over 115 entries from both small and large passionate organic producers, from across the country were received, concluding in a diverse range of products being shortlisted across the seven categories. Due to these undoubtedly different times the judging of the awards took place virtually this year with 5 judges from across the UK and Ireland.
Research commissioned by Bord Bia to coincide with the awards, reveals that 27 per cent of Irish consumers have been buying organic food weekly, or more, since the start of the pandemic. Health was the key reason for choosing organic food (73 per cent), followed by taste (65 per cent) and environmental concerns (55 per cent). The study also found that people under the age of 35 are more likely to pay more for organic food.
Commenting on the high standard of entries to the Awards, Tara McCarthy, CEO of Bord Bia, said, ‘The range of organic products coming out of Ireland right now is exceptional, and the dedication to producing world-class organic produce was evident amongst the entire shortlist for the Awards. Significant shifts in consumer preference to healthy, sustainable food choices endorses our confidence for the sector. Congratulations to all the nominated companies, and the very deserving winners.’
Commenting on the National Organic Awards, Minister of State, Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett T.D. said, ‘These National Organic Awards provide an important opportunity to recognise excellence so I want first of all to congratulate all of today’s winners. Seeing their innovation and creativity, I know we can be confident the Organic sector will continue to thrive. It is a vital sector of the Irish food and drink industry, and one for which this Government is committed to developing domestic and international markets.”
For more information on this year’s organic awards and to view the full list of winners check out the Bord Bia website.
- Shortlisted Candidates for each award category may be found Here
- Winners of this year’s awards can be found Here