This week the Irish food and drink industry travels to Paris for the biennial SIAL food trade show. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD will attend the event today (Monday) to support Bord Bia and the 21 participating Irish companies in pursuit of new business opportunities. The strength of the Irish presence at SIAL continues to grow, with a 40% increase in Irish companies exhibiting this year compared to 2012. The majority of the participating companies will be based at the Origin Green pavilions which will be managed and coordinated by Bord Bia.
Sustainability is a key theme of this year`s event. SIAL has acknowledged the green credentials of every Irish firm exhibiting with a listing on the SIAL tour guide for buyers seeking suppliers of sustainably produced food. The Minister and Bord Bia will host a trade reception this evening at Ireland`s ‘Origin Green’ pavilions to provide additional networking opportunities for Irish exhibitors. On Thursday, 23rd October Bord Bia will also organize a market study visit to leading French retailers for non-exhibiting Irish companies visiting SIAL.
Speaking in advance of his visit, Minister Coveney said “2014 marks the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s participation at SIAL, a major trade event and business development platform for Irish food exporters. As a truly international trade showcase, SIAL recognises the need for sustainable food production to meet the demands and aspirations of a growing world population. We could not have a better venue at which to re-inforce our ‘Origin Green’ initiative to a global audience. The Irish food and beverage industry has embraced the concept and now we aim to intensify our engagement with international consumers to demonstrate its effectiveness. Origin Green can leverage new business opportunities with international customers”.
Michael Carey, Chairman, Bord Bia said that this year`s sustainability theme will further enhance Ireland`s image in France. “A recent study carried out for Bord Bia among French respondents showed that 63% acknowledged Ireland`s engagement in sustainable production, a further 77% stated that Irish food was authentic and 86% vouched for its quality. This is an important acknowledgement in a country which remains Ireland’s largest global market for lamb and seafood, second largest for beef and whiskey. The first 6 months of 2014 show continued growth in exports to France with an increase of 10% in value versus same period the previous year”.
Despite challenging trading conditions, Irish exporters continue to grow their business in an increasingly competitive European marketplace. Irish food and beverage exports to France in 2013 amounted to €673 million, an increase of 14% since 2012 against a backdrop of a 10% increase globally. Over the coming days, Bord Bia and the Irish exhibitors will be working together to further develop existing and explore new trade relationships with buyers based on the world class quality and sustainable nature of food from Ireland.”
Origin Green
Bord Bia and Minister Coveney will today explain the Origin Green concept to international media and outline the progress to date in the roll out of the programme since it was launched by An Taoiseach at SIAL in 2012.
Speaking in advance of today`s briefing on progress in the implementation of Origin Green, Aidan Cotter, CEO Bord Bia said, “Ireland is the only country in the world in a position to offer an independently verified national sustainability commitment to its customers. He indicated that 362 food and drink manufacturers, accounting for more than 85% of our exports, have signed up to Origin Green, 233 are at workshop and plan development phase, 129 plans have been submitted, and 70 companies, accounting for 70% of exports, have had their plans accepted and become full members.”
He added that at farm level more than 25,000 audits and assessments have been conducted under the programme to date this year. Some 43,500 beef farms, accounting for 90% of beef production, are full members of Origin Green, audited and carbon-footprinted on an eighteen month cycle. Details of just under 18,000 dairy enterprises, accounting for virtually all dairy farms in the country, have been submitted to Bord Bia by 25 dairy cooperatives, they are deemed ‘participants’ in the newly launched Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) and are in the course of undergoing their first audit cycle. Similar cycles are underway, or getting underway, in other primary production sectors.
“Since we launched it internationally, at SIAL in Paris in 2012, the Origin Green message and branding has dominated our collective, national presence at thirty two international trade fairs, attracting 1.7 million buyers from all around the world.”
SIAL D`Or Awards
Innovation in the food industry is acknowledged through the SIAL d`Or awards and this year, Ireland is again well represented. Checkout magazine selects the Irish entrants in these innovation awards and this year’s nominee is Fusion and Street, a chilled soup range by Glanbia Consumer Foods. The selection jury describes the product as “encapsulating different taste profiles for consumers looking to sample something new”.
SIAL
SIAL is one of the world’s largest food trade fairs and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It runs from the 19th to the 23rd of October. Over 150,000 international visitors will attend the event, 63% of whom will come from outside France. Over 6,300 exhibitors are expected from over 100 countries. The activities span over eight halls, each representing a different product category. Irish exhibitors will be present in the meat, dairy, frozen and bakery halls.
Irish Food Companies attending SIAL:
1. Agra Kepak International
2. Ashbourne Meat Processors
3. Callan Bacon Company Ltd
4. CP Ingredients
5. Dawn Farm Foods
6. Dawn International
7. Dawn Meats (Exports) Ltd.
8. Dawn Pork and Bacon
9. Glanbia
10. Green Isle Foods Ltd
11. Irish Country Meats
12. Irish Dairy Board
13. Kildare Chilling Co Ltd
14. Liffey Meats Ltd
15. QK Meats
16. Ribworld
17. Rosderra Irish Meats Group
18. Slaney Foods International Ltd
19. Traditional Meat Company Irl Ltd
20. *ABP Food Group
21. *Pure Bred from Gallagher’s Bakery
(* Exhibiting independently)