Food companies rise to challenges of 21st century, claims Coveney

Irish food producers have shown great ingenuity in identifying new business opportunities and managing costs in recent years, according to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Mr Coveney said Irish food companies have brought new approaches to understanding their strengths. They have kept supply chain costs down, and responded well to price volatility in global commodity markets.

“There is an ever increasing recognition of the critical role of research and innovation, when inspired by insight into market and consumer needs, in meeting the big societal challenges of the 21st century,” he said at the Grant Thornton conference, Food 4.0 — The Dynamics of Supply and Demand, in Dublin. “A growing world population, more people living in cities, pressures on natural resources as people seek a better standard of living and higher expectations present particular challenges in the area of food security.