Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here in the fantastic surrounds of the Convention Centre.
Fáilte roimh.....welcome.
I’d like to welcome our many international guests to Ireland. I understand you have a busy week travelling to farms and factories all over the country. You will see first-hand how agriculture and food are a passion for the Irish people. It is part of what we are. We take great pride in producing some of the best food and drink in the world. This culminates in a distinctly Irish event; the National Ploughing Championships which are currently underway. That is my next port of call this morning, where I will celebrate our agri-food industry. I hope some of you will get the opportunity to visit and join the other 190,000 people expected to attend and celebrate all aspects of agriculture and rural life.
Sustainability
The theme of today’s conference, sustainability, is an important one. Not just for us in Ireland but for people all around the world.
Businesses also now realise that the world is changing rapidly and what their customers expect of them is radically different from 10 or even 5 years ago. In this information age the customer is king. And the customer will not be shy in sharing his views. We politicians have been used to this for some time!
It’s good business to have corporate social responsibility. In the long run the investment in developing and maintaining a sustainable and socially responsible business model will pay dividends.
For this reason Ireland has been ahead of the game. We understand that argi-food businesses need to be at the forefront of the sustainability agenda to ensure the future of their customer base and their resources.
Last year I launched Origin Green at the great trade fair at SIAL Paris. I invited food companies to sign up to this sustainability initiative which sees food and drink manufacturers develop a sustainable plan that sets out clear targets in key areas such as emissions, energy, waste, water, biodiversity and corporate social responsibility activities.
Food security is a real issue for millions of people around the world today. Food security matters to Ireland not alone in terms of our past but in terms of our future. Globally, countries recognise that food security is a critical issue. They need to plan for and source their food supplies, reliably but equally sustainably.
Ireland can provide the solutions they are looking for. Origin Green is why Ireland should be judged to meet the highest international standards. Origin Green is not just a marketing ploy but is a visionary plan to reorient an entire argi-food industry. It’s making a real difference on the ground.
For example we have taken a lead with introducing a measure for carbon footprinting of our farms on a national scale, starting with the beef sector.
Currently Bord Bia auditors carbon footprint 500 farms a week – gathering data on carbon, water and biodiversity at farm level.
Origin Green, will show the world, in a very direct and compelling way, some simple but important facts about Ireland: That the capacity to produce good food comes naturally to us and that our food production is based consistently on the highest standards. It is supported by investment in food science and research, both nationally and internationally.
The response from large companies and SME’s has been tremendous. Over 300 companies have registered with the programme.
Ireland is a country geared to sustainability; the climate is temperate and lush, green countryside is perfect for farming.
The bottom line for today’s food and drink businesses is to enhance the sustainability of the supply chain to meet the needs of today, while ensuring that future generations can meet theirs.
The Economy and the Food Industry
The Government has a plan for economic recovery and we are starting to see some real progress. One of the shining lights of Ireland's continuing recovery has been the agri-food sector.
Our food industry is Ireland’s largest indigenous manufacturing sector. It accounts for over 10% of exports, 8% of GDP and employs almost 160,000 people in Ireland.
The Agri-Food sector has been a national leader in growing exports. After reaching new record highs last year I’m confident that more jobs and investment can be made in the sector as Ireland recovers. Only this week three more Irish food companies, O’Brien’s Fine Foods, Green Farm Foods, and Swift Fine Foods, announced new jobs to meet growth.
Food Harvest 2020
Food Harvest 2020 is the strategic roadmap for the development of the food industry. It sets out very ambitious targets for the sector.
In the Agri-food sector we plan to optimise the dairy sector's export and investment potential through the introduction of a sustainability and quality programme for the dairy sector in advance of the abolition of milk quotas.
Irish milk output is targeted to increase by 50% by 2020 and this will create a significant number of jobs across the country.
We are also working to achieve the target of 75% of food and drink exports being supplied by companies participating in the 'Origin Green' sustainability charter by the end of 2014.
In addition to improving competitiveness and efficiency for all farm enterprises the Government has put in place a number of measures to support the next generation of farming. These reforms highlight Ireland's ambition to become the best small country in the world for business.
Enjoy this conference, and the gala dinner this evening, which I am sure will be showcasing our wonderful Irish food