At 16, Cork has the highest number of companies in Munster achieving the Origin Green Gold Member award, presented last week by Bord Bia at the annual Origin Green Sustainability Seminar, which was opened by Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.
In all, 110 Irish food and drink companies were recognised by Bord Bia 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.
5 companies awarded from the province came from counties Kerry and Waterford. Four companies from Limerick were awarded Origin Green Gold Membership, while three companies were recognised from Tipperary. One company from Clare, Abc Nutritionals, was awarded Gold Membership for 2024.
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.
‘RECORD NUMBER OF COMPANIES’
Deirdre Ryan, Director of Sustainability and Quality Assurance, Origin Green at Bord Bia, who officially announced the 2024 Gold Members, gave particular mention to Tírlán, a Gold Member for the fifth consecutive year:
“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. I look forward to seeing our 2024 Gold Members continue to champion sustainability in the coming years.
In particular, I would like to congratulate Tirlán, which has been recognised as an Origin Green Gold Member for the fifth consecutive year, highlighting its longstanding commitment to improving sustainability at pace.”
DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY TOGETHER
The Origin Green Sustainability Seminar featured morning and afternoon 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.
Throughout the seminar, Bord Bia provided an overview of the new initiatives and supports available within the Origin Green programme.
Finally, 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 supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
