The world seen through green eyes
Global landmarks such as the Pyramids of Egypt, Sydney Opera House and the Empire State Building in New York will go green today.
And so too will other iconic sites including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Niagara Falls, the London Eye and Table Mountain in South Africa.
It is all part of a major coup by Tourism Ireland to boost this country’s image on St Patrick’s Day and kick start its promotional drive to grow overseas tourism in 2014.
Government ministers will be supporting those efforts with visits to ten destinations and a further six to the Middle East, the Far East and Australasia.
The primary aim will be to attract more visitors and industrial investment to Ireland, but there is another significant spin-off from the Greening Project.
That’s because Ireland is seen as a country with good grass that produces top-quality food in a wholesome way.
Surveys conducted over the years in many overseas food and drink markets have consistently revealed that the perception of Ireland among consumers is of a lush and green country.
The innovative greening of global landmarks for Saint Patrick’s Day underscores that image which successive Governments have promoted in their efforts to increase food and drink exports.
Bord Bia, which plays a crucial role in developing markets worldwide, reported that the value of Irish food and drink exports reached almost €10bn for the first time in 2013.
This represented an increase of 9% on the previous year and 40% in the last four years with revenues almost €3bn higher than in 2009.
That positive outcome led to Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Simon Coveney predicting that the €12bn export target set out in the industry-led Food Harvest 2020 strategy is well in sight.
Yesterday, Mr Coveney met with Australia’s agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, in Sydney and will have talks with New Zealand’s minister for primary industries (agriculture) Nathan Guy in Wellington tomorrow.
His meeting with Mr Guy will have particular relevance as the dairy industry in Ireland prepares itself for the abolition of milk quotas in 2015 and increased production.
Mr Coveney said New Zealand had the opportunity to expand into a global dairy industry player over the years when Ireland was held back due to EU quota limits on milk output.
“I want to learn more of the approach adopted and to see what lessons learned there might apply,” said the minister, who is also due to meet with the chairman and directors of New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra.
Mr Coveney recalled at the official opening of a new milk plant for North Cork Co-op in Kanturk last week that New Zealand and Ireland had the same size dairy industries in volume terms back in 1984, when EU milk quotas were introduced.
“Both of us were producing five billion litres of milk a year. We are now doing about 5.5bn litres.
“They are doing just under 20bn litres of milk per year, and dominating the traded markets in terms of dairy markets across the world,” he said.
The use of Ireland’s natural green image, however, is not confined to St Patrick’s Day — it is also part of the title of a sustainability programme launched by Bord Bia in 2012 to build the brand reputation of the food and drink industry.
Origin Green is designed to prove the Irish food industry’s ‘green’ credentials and enable Ireland to become a world leader in high quality sustainably produced food and drink.
It now encompasses 37,000 farms and nearly 300 companies, accounting for some 85% of Ireland’s food and drink exports to over 175 countries.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny outlined the programme’s importance when he addressed ‘Our Food, Our Future,’ a Bord Bia organised international conference in Dublin last September.
He said Origin Green is not just a marketing ploy, but is a visionary plan to reorient an entire agri-food industry and is making a real difference.
Through its network of international offices, Bord Bia has co-ordinated and supported global Saint Patrick’s Day events aimed at boosting food and drink exports.
With the support of Irish diplomats abroad, these promotions in cities ranging from Moscow to London and from Shanghai to Lagos are aimed at consumers, retailers, trade and foodservice operators.
