Bord Bia: Going Green from Farm to Fork
Food sustainability trends from Ireland s Bord Bia and chef Dan Barber
Bord-Bia-the Irish Food Board hosted Going Green from Farm to Fork, a virtual pre-St. Patrick s Day briefing for U.S. media on the central issues of farm and food sustainability through a conversation with Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy and chef, author and sustainable food advocate Dan Barber.
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McCarthy discussed how Ireland is responding to these issues through Origin Green, the world s first and only national food sustainability program, one that unites the food sector from farmer to producer to retailer around shared, measurable sustainability targets.
Growing enterprise: Justina and Liam in front of their polytunnels with twins Aaron and Emily-Anne, and dogs Sherbie and Peppa
“They thrive outdoors all year long and they aren’t heavy, so they don’t cause damage to the ground. They seemed like the perfect breed for us as they have excellent meat yields despite their small size.”
The following year, the vegetables and home-reared beef had done so well for them that they decided to produce enough to sell a small quantity.
“2014 was the first year we had anything to sell. We had linked up with a fantastic family butcher’s, Burns Meats in Grange in Co Sligo, who we had been bringing our cattle to.
December 18, 2020 11:18 am
There is “growing evidence” that slaughtering animals aged under 30 months has an environmental benefit, compared to older animals, a Grant Thornton report has claimed.
The report, which was commissioned by the Beef Market Taskforce and discussed by its members yesterday (Thursday, December 17), examined market and customer requirements relating to in-spec bonuses.
Where the 30-month rule is concerned, the report stated that there is evidence of “strong market demand” in food service, retail and third country markets for beef from cattle aged under 30 months at slaughter.
The report acknowledges that the “genesis” of the rule is related to BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), but that costumers of Irish beef (i.e. businesses that buy from processors) cited other reasons for demanding animals under 30 months.
Evidence of “strong market demand” for cattle slaughtered under 30 months of age has been identified across foodservice, retail and third country markets, according to a draft independent report.
The finding was presented to the Beef Taskforce as part of a Department of Agriculture commissioned review into market and customer requirements relating to the four ‘in spec’ bonus criteria currently in operation in the Irish beef sector. The requirements became a significant bone of contention between primary producers and meat processors during the beef protests of 2019.
The draft analysis, seen by the Farming Independent, examined these criteria in the context of market requirements in the Republic and internationally in key UK, EU and third country markets.
This content is provided by Bord Bia2020-11-05T09:44:00+00:00
Consumers have become ever more discerning about where their food comes from and how it is produced. And nowhere is this trend more clearly on display than when it comes to shoppers’ choice of beef.
For example, research from Ernst & Young shows that over 50% of consumers globally now express a preference for grass-fed beef and 64% said they would pay more for it.
So, what’s so special about the green stuff?
Well, there’s been a body of research that shows beef sourced from animals enjoying an existence of natural, pasture-based outdoor grazing for most of the year makes for great tasting grass-fed beef. Most notably there is evidence from Teagasc, the Irish state agency providing research, advisory and education in agriculture, horticulture, food and rural development in Ireland, that grass-fed beef is both visually distinctive and has specific positive taste and nutritional properties.