Irish Food Companies Exhibit at World Organic Trade Fair

Twelve Irish food and drink companies are participating at BioFach 2013 this week, the world's largest organic food fair, taking place in Nuremberg, Germany from today until the 16th February. Bord Bia is organising and coordinating Irish representation from the seafood, meat and beverages sectors (See full list of companies in Notes to Editor). Mayo based seafood company, Emerald Mussels will launch Organic Irish Mussels at the trade fair, the world's first seabed cultured mussels to be classified by the EU as Organic. 

BioFach is widely regarded as the most important trade event in the international organic food and drink calendar. In 2012, the event attracted 40,000 European and International trade visitors from over 130 countries to meet with 2,420 exhibitors. Speaking on Ireland's participation at the event, Eileen Bentley, Bord Bia said "BioFach applies strict admission criteria to assure the constantly high quality of the products on display. The strong Irish representation at the event is testament to the high quality and standards of Irish organic produce. This event is an opportunity for companies to develop and maintain business, gain information about new products, learn more about various markets, and generally expand their knowledge base."

She added, "Servicing the export market represents both a challenge and an opportunity for many Irish organic suppliers. Bord Bia works with food and drink companies on an on-going basis to identify potential new customers through market and consumer insights and using the in-market knowledge of Bord Bia's international office network."

Ireland's Organic Sector

According to Bord Bia estimates, the Irish organic market was valued at just under €100 million in 2012. Overall, this represents a year on year decline; however yogurts, fresh meat, vegetables and biscuits have gained market share and demonstrated growth since 2011. Organic vegetables and yoghurt are the most commonly purchased organic products in Ireland. Shoppers buy organic food on average once every two weeks with 91% of the Irish population having bought organic previously.

There are currently 1,692 registered organic operators in Ireland with 52,390 hectares of land being used to produce organic foods which include meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, eggs, grains, cereals, nuts, seeds, dairy products, drinks and cooking oils. For Irish organic producers, there are two main routes to the market with 85% of producers opting to supply supermarkets, while the remaining 15% sell directly to the consumer. Evidence has proven that organic food is moving out of specialty shops and into the leading retailers with Tesco, Dunnes Stores and SuperValu currently the three biggest retailers in terms of organic sales in Ireland.

Organic Market in Germany

Germany is the biggest organic market in Europe, with an estimated annual sales turnover of €6.2 billion. This figure is expected to grow to €6.6 billion in 2015. Issues such as sustainability, recycling and environmental friendliness are growing ever more important in Germany, a country with a strong green movement. Potatoes, fruit and vegetables (29%), followed by bread and cereal products (22%), and dairy and eggs (22%) are the biggest organic categories in Germany. Germany also has the highest number of specialised organic supermarkets in Europe and dedicated organic chains.

In conclusion, Eileen Bentley outlined why participation is imperative; "As the industry increasingly concentrate efforts on export opportunities, Eurozone markets, such as Germany, offer the prospect of new opportunities and stability. Germany is Ireland's second most important food and drink market on Continental Europe. Ireland's presence at BioFach is an acknowledgement of the importance of the German organic food market and of Ireland's capacity to supply it."

Elsewhere this week, Bord Bia and four Irish companies will also have a presence at ProdExpo, the largest specialized food exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe. It is regarded as a key opportunity to secure business and raise the profile of Irish food in the region.

Participating Companies – BioFach 2013

• Good Herdsmen (Beef and Lamb)
• Murphy's Irish Seafood
• Solaris Botanicals (Tea)
• First Ireland Spirits (Alcohol)
• Kush (Seafood)
• ISPG (Seafood)
• Kenmare Select (Seafood)
• Marine Harvest (Seafood)
• Irish Seaspray (Seafood)
• Connemara Seafoods
• William Carr (Seafood)
• Emerald Mussels (Seafood)

Source: HortiTrends News Room

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