122 food and drink companies and 55,000 Irish farms back Bord Bia’s 800 ‘green goals’

Ireland’s agri-food industry has set itself 800 green targets in a bid to underpin its ‘green’ image in the eyes of global consumers.

Bord Bia says that since it launched Origin Green, more than 55,000 Irish farms and 122 food and drink companies have signed up to the sustainability programme.

These farms account for 90% of Ireland’s beef production and half of its milk output, while the companies are responsible for 85% of Irish food and drink exports.

“Three and a half years after its launch, Origin Green has gained traction at home and won plaudits abroad, and on a scale few of us might have imagined,” said Aidan Cotter, Bord Bia chief executive.

“It is transforming our thinking about how we produce food and how we do business.

“It has presented our industry with a renewed sense of purpose; of how we can be different, and make a difference, in a changing world.”

Under the Origin Green programme, food and drink producers have committed to more than 800 sustainability goals in raw material sourcing, manufacturing processes and social sustainability.

The targets seek savings of €12m and €17m in energy and water usage by 2017, and 14,000 tonnes less waste.

Bord Bia says Origin Green has met with acclaim from World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, and global leaders in the food and drink industry.