Bord Bia has today (Thursday, October 17) recognised 110 Irish food and drink companies for their sustainability performance in 2024 with Origin Green Gold Membership.
Gold Membership is awarded to Origin Green verified companies if they make significant improvements in their sustainability target areas.
Target areas can include supply chain sourcing, water, emissions, waste reductions, packaging, and social sustainability.
The Gold Members were formally acknowledged at Bord Bia’s annual Origin Green Sustainability Seminar, which was opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
Director of Sustainability and Quality Assurance, Origin Green at Bord Bia, Deirdre Ryan said: “To drive continuous change and improvement, each year Origin Green raises the threshold to meet Gold Membership status.
“The record number of companies awarded Gold Membership this year is reflective of the appetite of the Irish food and drink sector to accelerate their sustainability actions.
“Acknowledging the efforts and exemplary performance of these companies ensures that we are rewarding change and inspiring others to take their own steps to better our environment.”
She congratulated Tirlán in particular, which has been recognised as a Gold Member for the fifth consecutive year.
This year’s 110 Gold Membership companies come from 24 counties across Ireland and represent sectors including dairy, meat, seafood and aquaculture, confectionary, beverages, and horticulture.
Speaking today, CEO of Bord Bia, Jim O’Toole said: “The record level of companies committing to sustainability targets and achieving Gold Membership is incredibly encouraging and a testament to the collective ambition of the sector.
“Ireland’s food and drink industry is committed to playing its part in tackling the climate and biodiversity challenge we all face
“Through its members, the Origin Green programme has achieved positive progress over its 12 years.
“The latest report by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the agriculture industry is moving in the right direction, with emissions reducing by 4.6% in 2023. While positive, the industry must accelerate this progress.”
Origin Green
The seminar featured panel discussions featuring Origin Green members, while guest speakers included Hakan Nordkvist, chief executive of the Net Zero Company; Peter Cosgrove, founder of Futurewise; and Gavin Barwell, senior advisor to PwC.
Partner exhibitors on the day included Business in the Community promoting inclusive workplaces; Enterprise Ireland focusing on access to the Green Transition Fund; the EPA’s Stop Food Waste team; the AgriFood Diversity and Inclusion Forum offering support on diversity, equality and inclusion; and PWC showcasing their Geospatial climate intelligence tool that provides current and future global exposure scores across a series of climate scenarios through to 2050.
Throughout the seminar, Bord Bia provided an overview of the initiatives and supports available within the Origin Green programme.
The Origin Green Academy Team highlighted what knowledge and training supports are available exclusively to programme members through the collaboration between Bord Bia, the Sustainable Enterprise Skillnet and 20FIFTY Partners.
Attendees had an opportunity to experience a demonstration of AgNav, the new farmer focused online sustainability platform developed as a collaborative project between Bord Bia, Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).