The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Tom Hayes, T.D. addressed the ‘Future in Food’ Conference in Croke Park today.

At the event Minister Hayes said that “the participation of over 270 companies in the Conference demonstrates their recognition that sustainable production at all stages of Irish food processing is imperative for growth. The case studies, techniques, presentations and networking opportunities on offer today  can assist these companies to make sound practical choices and so deliver new business“ .

He added that “’sustainable intensification’ of food production – that is, producing more food while respecting and enhancing the environment – is the way forward“. Emphasising that Ireland has championed sustainable agri-food production, Minister Hayes commended those food and drink companies who have become fully-verified members of Origin Green, “when companies introduce resource efficiency systems, it is a winning combination, as they cut costs while reducing environmental impacts“. Minister Hayes encouraged all companies, which have signed up for the programme, to complete their plans and targets, which will be independently verified.

In conclusion Minister Hayes stated that “Ireland has been a champion of this approach for several years in the EU and on the world stage, and I believe we are leading the way in how to do this at a practical level“ .

Note for editors

The Future in Food Conference brings together leading experts and influencers on the huge challenge of how to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Conference will hear from experts and businesses which implemented environmentally sustainable methods, resulting in opportunities for cost savings.  A key aspect of these improvement programmes was staff involvement which some companies will say drove the changes themselves.

Ireland has huge natural advantages when it comes to farming in an environmentally friendly way: its moderate climate, with plentiful rainfall, leads to excellent grass growth and rearing beef and dairy cattle and sheep on plentiful pastures without the need for feed lots.

Innovative measures on sustainability taken by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and its agencies include:

• Bord Bia’s Origin Green initiative, over 85% of Irish food and drink exports are from Origin Green companies ( www.origingreen.ie ).
• The Carbon Navigator tool, which enables farmers to improve economic and environmental efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Pasture Profit Index comparing the economic benefits of various grassland production systems.
• Agricultural Catchments Programme, monitoring and researching water quality across relatively intensely farmed areas.
• Showcasing Origin Green at Ireland’s Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 from March-October 2015.  Over 2.45 million people visited the Irish Pavilion. 

View Press Release as a PDF:  DAFMPR 210/2015 (pdf 589Kb) ‌

Date Released: 01 December 2015