More than 75% of Ireland’s food and drinks exports will be from Origin Green verified members by the end of 2014, according to new figures from Irish food marketing agency Bord Bia.
To date, over 280 food and drink companies, representing almost two-thirds of all exports, have registered with the programme and there are now 23 fully verified members.
The food marketing body is set to unveil an ambitious plan for future exports at its inaugural Global Sustainability Conference at the Convention Centre in Dublin today.
The conference, with the theme ‘Our Food, Our Future: The Bottom Line’, will be opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and is the centrepiece of a week-long business development and marketing drive by Bord Bia.
Bord Bia is preparing to welcome almost 800 delegates, including 280 food buyers from 25 countries. The event will feature speakers from companies and groups such as the World Wildlife Fund, the World Bank, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Mars, Kerry Foods, Tesco, and Nestlé.
The food buyers include Carrefour, the world’s second largest food grocer; Marks & Spencer; Chinese Dairy company Whaha, and Spinneys, the leading premium supermarket in the Middle East and North Africa.
Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter, said: "While our quality assurance and sustainability schemes are ground-breaking in their breadth and depth, it is still challenging to break through the noise when it comes to sustainability.
"Ireland needs to clearly stand out from the crowd and create a voice for itself around sustainability. This is a journey that will take many years to achieve; however organising and hosting this Global Sustainability Conference is a notable starting point."
