Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, led a high-level trade mission to Germany last week, to promote the sale of Irish organic foods.
The high profile visit coincided with the 2022 edition of the Biofach trade show in Nuremburg, where Bord Bia (Ireland’s Food Board) hosted the Origin Green Ireland stand.
During the trade mission, the Minister supported Irish organic food companies as they meet with international buyers. He highlighted the export the export opportunities that exist for organic beef and lamb, but also noted that organic seafood exports from Ireland were valued at €98 million in 2021 and were an clear illustration of the potential for developing a market for a quality organic product.
Ahead of the trip trade mission, Senator Hackett said: “The German organic market is the largest in Europe in terms of value and was worth €15.9 billion in 2021. I am delighted to be travelling to Germany to help to secure a viable future for organic farming in Ireland by developing market opportunities for Irish organic produce. Organic produce will continue to expand its appeal to consumers who are increasingly conscious of their own impact on the environment and who wish to support sustainability in the farm to fork journey.”
“Organic produce will continue to expand its appeal to consumers who are increasingly conscious of their own impact on the environment and who wish to support sustainability in the farm to fork journey”
Speaking on the opening day of Biofach, Bord Bia interim Chief Executive, Michael Murphy said: “The strong Irish presence at this flagship organic event is valuable in building awareness of Ireland’s growing organic sector among key trade buyers. Ahead of Biofach, Bord Bia’s German office has been targeting buyers though trade media and direct marketing to highlight the strong sustainability credentials of organic suppliers from Ireland and ensure that Irish suppliers are top-of-mind for prospective buyers attending the show. To support the long-term development of the Irish organic sector, Bord Bia will use this trade mission and our presence at Biofach, to deepen commercial relationships and increase our understanding of the organic market in Germany. A series of meetings with leading German organic retailers and food manufacturers will take place today to further grow the market for Irish organic exports.”
Main image: Senator Pippa Hackett, pictured with Prof. Dr. Roland Fleck and Peter Ottmann, joint leaders of NürnbergMesse Group management team