Whenever Canada’s agri-food sector squares up to optimize its competitive advantage for exports, quality almost always comes first. Quality, rather than quantity or price, helps us compete alongside some of the world’s most successfully branded agri-food sectors.
And when it comes to quality, among the best of them is Ireland.
At just over 84,000 square kilometres, the Green Isle is only about one-tenth bigger than New Brunswick. Size-wise, that hardly makes a dent in global statistics.
But when it comes to food exports, Ireland is a worldwide superstar. Irish food – particularly beef, butter, cheese, alcohol and snacks (especially potato chips) is magnificently marketed. It’s everywhere, and renowned for quality by brand names such as Kerrygold, Guiness, Bailey’s and Taytos.
“We punch above our weight,” says David Markey, former publisher of Dublin-based IFP Media, one of the country’s leading agriculture and trade media houses. “That’s always been the mantra of Ireland.”
The country’s agri-food marketing success stems from the entire supply chain buying into that feisty mantra. Origin Green, Ireland's national food and drink sustainability program, unites government, the private sector (more than 300 leading food and drink companies), 77,000 producers (including 70 per cent of the country’s horticulture growers), and scores of food service and retail. The program – which claims to be unique in the world -- enables the agri-food industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets. On-farm assurance assessments are administered by Bord Bia, the Irish food board.
So even when specific sectors hit a snag, like they did in 2013 when unscrupulous suppliers there switched beef for horsemeat, Ireland’s reputation ultimately emerged intact.
The system is working very well. Last year, despite worldwide economic turmoil, the value of Irish food, drink and horticulture (particularly mushrooms) exports grew by five per cent to a record 17 billion Euros. Minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Charlie McConalogue, was understandably chuffed.
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