Deirdre Ryan
Director of Origin Green and Sustainable Quality Assurance at Bord Bia
Against the growing reality of climate change and other environmental challenges, the agenda around food sustainability has seen a decisive shift in recent years. Aspirations are increasingly being translated into legislative action.
Bord Bia created Origin Green in 2012, a national sustainability programme that brings together the entire supply chain from farmers to food producers, food service and retail sectors. We engage with over 55,000 farmers and 300 participating companies, representing an opportunity to drive impact at scale.
Since its launch, we have delivered a recognised competitive advantage to the industry as customers and consumers around the world are looking for assurances that their food is sustainably sourced.
Agriculture has been tasked with reducing emissions by 25% by 2030.
Ireland legislation enables food sustainability
The European Green Deal, published in 2019, has set the EU economy on the path to climate neutrality by 2050. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan mirrors this commitment, setting a target of a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Climate Action Plan 2021 requires every sector of the economy to contribute to this.
The role of agriculture
Agriculture has been tasked with reducing emissions by 25% by 2030. While this target is ambitious, in a recent Bord Bia survey of over 1,200 farmers, 85% of respondents said they are extremely willing to make future changes on their farms to reduce emissions.
Since Origin Green introduced carbon footprinting in 2013, the average carbon footprint on member beef and dairy farms has continued to follow a downward trend.
Partnership approach
There can be no doubt that a step change is now required in both the scale and scope of our actions around sustainability. Origin Green – Powered By Partnership is Bord Bia’s strategic response. We recognise that sustainability can’t be reduced to a single issue and that the partnership approach will drive more innovation and improvements across the supply chain.
Recognising the changing expectations of our stakeholders puts a greater emphasis on science-based targets, nature-based solutions and integrating circular approaches.
We now look forward to the next era of development, where we partner with those who share our determination and collectively support the ambitions of the food and drink industry to grow sustainably. Doing the right thing for the planet, our consumers, the farming sector and the wider industry means doing the right thing together.