Irish food and drink companies showcased at largest organic fair

FOURTEEN Irish food and drink companies are participating at BioFach 2010, the world’s largest and most prestigious organic food fair, which opened in Nuremberg, Germany, yesterday, and continues until Saturday.

Bord Bia is organising and co-ordinating Irish representation from the meat and beverages sectors to prepared foods and seafood. Ireland’s overall organic sector is valued at €105 million.

Minister of State Trevor Sargent launched Ireland’s presence at the event and met with Katherine De Matteo, president, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

Biofach is widely regarded as the most important trade event in the international organic food and drink calendar.

Last year, it attracted more than 46,000 trade visitors from some 130 countries.

Mr Sargent said the event applies strict admission criteria to guarantee the consistently high quality of the products on display.

“The strong Irish representation at the event is testament to the high standards and quality of Irish organic produce available,” he said.

Mr Sargent said the international organic market has undergone significant development in recent years. More than €34 billion worth of organic food was traded worldwide in 2008.

“I believe there are opportunities for Irish companies to make inroads into these expanding markets and that the Biofach initiative is an important step in that direction,” he said.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said Germany is Ireland’s second most important food and drink market on continental Europe, after France.

As the industry seeks to increasingly broaden its export reach, eurozone markets, such as Germany, offer the prospect of new opportunities and greater stability.