In the heart of Ireland’s agri-food industry, Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, stands as the guardian of the nation’s culinary heritage and the driving force behind the promotion and marketing of Irish food and drink on the world stage. With a global network of 15 strategically positioned offices, Bord Bia’s mission extends beyond borders, playing a pivotal role in shaping international perceptions of Ireland’s rich agricultural offerings.
Bord Bia’s international network is a linchpin in facilitating the growth of the Irish dairy industry worldwide. The agency provides tailored services, including bespoke research, buyer-supplier contact events, and participation in trade fairs. Notably, the focus has turned towards strengthening ties with the Middle East, opening new avenues for Irish dairy products in this dynamic and evolving market.
Dairy constitutes the most significant export sector from Ireland to the Middle East, representing 87% of all Irish exports and amounting to €315 million in 2022, reflecting a notable increase of 10% from 2021. Within the comprehensive dairy export figure, dairy ingredients emerge as the primary component exported from Ireland to the Middle East. The initial half of 2023 has witnessed a substantial surge of 33% in the value of Irish dairy exports to the Middle East compared to the preceding year.
The escalating trajectory is also evident in the value of dairy imports from Ireland to the UAE, registering a substantial 60.5% increase from 2021 to 2022, resulting in a market valuation of €79 million. Noteworthy product categories following dairy include:
- Cheese (€10,854,879, showcasing an 88.8% increase from 2021).
- Butter (€1,581,457, a remarkable 139% increase from 2021).
- Infant Food (€8,000,199, reflecting a substantial 70% increase from 2021).
- Skimmed Milk Powder (€5,603,299, indicating a noteworthy 110.6% increase from 2021).
At the heart of Bord Bia’s global efforts lies Ireland’s dairy industry, firmly rooted in the tradition of intergenerational family farming. In 2022, Ireland produced a staggering 8.819 billion litres of milk, reflecting the industry’s robust growth—over 40% since 2014. With 1.6 million cows across 16,000 farms, the Irish dairy landscape has an average herd size of 103 cows, each producing approximately 5,348 litres per annum.
Ireland’s unique island location on the western edge of Europe, blessed with a temperate climate, abundant rainfall, and fertile soils, contributes to the country’s distinct advantage in dairy production. The island’s lengthy grass growing season, averaging 240 days per year ensures that 95% of an Irish cow’s diet consists of grass—a critical factor in Irish dairy products’ high-quality and unparalleled taste.
Irish dairy products, known for their exceptional quality, are exported to over 145 markets globally. In 2022 alone, Ireland exported over €6.8 billion worth of dairy products, making it the largest food and drink export category. The reputation of Irish dairy extends beyond borders, with the world-renowned Kerrygold brand leading the way as the number one butter brand in Germany and the second in the USA.
The diversity of Irish dairy products is showcased through exports of 257,102 metric tons of cheese in 2022, with a particular emphasis on cheddar production. Ireland is also making strides in expanding its cheese varieties, including mozzarella and continental cheeses. Due to Ireland’s high-quality milk pool and adherence to stringent industry standards, the dairy industry has solidified its position as a hub for powdered dairy products, attracting multinational nutritional companies.
Central to Ireland’s commitment to sustainable food production is “Origin Green,” a comprehensive food and drink sustainability program led by Bord Bia. This integrated supply chain initiative unites farmers, food manufacturers, retailers, and food service operators, fostering a shared commitment to measurable sustainability targets. Origin Green respects the environment and serves local communities, ensuring that Ireland’s global reputation for food sustainability remains robust and continually evolving.
Bord Bia’s tireless efforts in promoting Irish dairy globally and the commitment to sustainable practices through Origin Green paint a vivid picture of a nation deeply invested in preserving its culinary legacy while embracing the future of responsible and world-class food production.
In an interview with Kieran Fitzgerald, Regional Director of Bord Bia, MEIA, we learn more about Bord Bia’s commitment to Irish family farming heritage, sustainability, and more.
What Bord Bia Wants You to Know About Irish Products
The array of Irish products on your supermarket shelves, gracing your table, and residing in your fridges carries a heritage, commitment, and a pledge for our planet’s future. These products embody family businesses and industrious communities converging to link you—consumers and clients—with sustainably produced food and drink of the utmost quality. In Ireland, we cultivate food in harmony with nature, desiring the world to relish and acknowledge the excellence and distinctiveness of our diverse product range.
A resolute effort is underway to address issues impacting our community, the people around us, and the globe. We aspire to spotlight our sustainably produced food and drink, making these products globally accessible. This is where Irish food leaves an indelible mark. Through our premium produce grounded in sustainable practices, we are effecting change—one farm, one product, and one export at a time.
Sustainable Practices in the Irish Food Sector
As global discussions intensify in anticipation of COP28 on sustainability and climate action, the Irish food sector emerges at the forefront, honouring its family farming legacy while forging ahead towards a more sustainably responsible future.
Globally renowned as one of the most scientifically advanced and sustainable, Ireland’s food industry thrives on its small island’s rich, fertile soil and favourable farming weather. Agriculture, historically Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, continues to be a cornerstone. In addressing food security, the island, with a population of 5 million, consistently exports enough to feed 25 million. The key ingredient for Ireland’s food security and the sector’s continued success is sustainability.
Grassland blankets about 80% of total Irish land, exceeding European averages of 40%. Ireland’s climate facilitates a prolonged grass-growing season, ideal for raising livestock and cultivating crops. Our grass-based system, yielding world-class dairy, beef, and sheep meat, stands as a more efficient and environmentally sustainable alternative to intensive indoor animal feeding systems.
Launched over a decade ago in 2012, the Origin Green Programme stands out as the world’s sole national food and drink sustainability initiative. Enabling the industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets, the program, with independent verification across the entire supply chain, verifies 90% of Ireland’s food and drink exports—a sector now valued at over EUR 30 billion. This initiative has resulted in an 11% reduction in energy use and a 17% reduction in water use per unit of output from food and drink manufacturers.
Sustainability-Led Efforts to Tackle Climate Change
While Ireland is often referred to as “The Emerald Island” and celebrated for its green reputation, the need to substantiate this in an increasingly transparent world prompted the inception of Origin Green. Serving as Ireland’s infrastructure, it demonstrates the country’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection both today and into the future.
Conscious design solutions ensure Ireland’s enduring reputation for excellence in food and drink. Consumers, who buy based on trust, find essential safety credentials. In Ireland, a farm-to-fork infrastructure allows us to provide necessary proof points. Extensive data generation and digitisation ensure accurate communication of relevant proof points, a focus that continues to expand. However, Bord Bia’s physical inspection of about 95% of local producers verifies guarantees given to trusting consumers. In-person visits facilitate the completion of checks and verification processes, concurrently educating farmers on global market priorities. Providing farmers with information and tools is crucial for improvement, meeting new demands, and becoming more sustainable.
Beyond addressing emissions, concerted efforts extend to optimising resource usage, promoting biodiversity, and enhancing soil and water quality. A holistic approach tackles every facet of the agricultural ecosystem, with soil health and fertility being pivotal starting points for food and drink production in Ireland.
On a larger scale, these endeavours align with Ireland’s national mission to limit greenhouse gas emissions and counteract the adverse effects of climate change. As we cater to international markets, including the Middle East, our focus extends beyond delivering quality to ensuring that our products are underpinned by a responsibility towards our shared planet.
Bord Bia and Irish Products in 2024
In early 2022, Bord Bia unveiled a strategy aligning with Ireland’s Food Vision 2030, titled ‘Nurturing a Thriving Future’. Aspiring to be a world leader in sustainable food systems, this 3-year Middle East strategy emphasises providing sustainably produced food and drink, growing Irish exports efficiently, expanding business capabilities, and consistently innovating to address future challenges. In an era where food quality, safety, and security intensify as concerns, Ireland sets a global precedent in efficiency through sustainability. Bord Bia’s mission is to offer chefs and consumers access to sustainably produced food with independently verified sustainability credentials. The goal is to increase the selection of sustainably produced, high-quality food and drink available to chefs and consumers in the UAE and wider Middle East by 2024.
Growth of Irish Products in the Middle East
Annually, the Export Performance and Prospects Report sheds light on key performances. The Middle East, a pivotal market for Ireland, witnessed a 10% increase in total exports in 2022, reaching €364.5 million. As of September 2023, food and drink exports surged nearly 30%, with dairy products from Ireland’s nutrient-rich pastures leading the way, followed by prepared consumer foods (PCF) and drinks. Popular exports include Kerrygold butter, Avonmore cheese, Killowen and Glenisk yoghurts, farmhouse cheeses, and essential dairy ingredients. Bord Bia’s market insights reveal a growing interest in healthy and sustainably produced foods in the UAE, offering excellent opportunities for Ireland to showcase Origin Green internationally.
Other popular Irish products include grass-fed beef and lamb, featured prominently on the menus of the region’s best restaurants. Salmon and oysters from Ireland’s pristine waters, Flahavan’s oats, Butlers Chocolates, Keogh’s crisps, and a diverse range of SuperValu products round out the offerings. Bord Bia’s market insights indicate a rising demand in the UAE for sustainable sources of ingredients from Europe, aligning seamlessly with Ireland’s commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability.
As Ireland continues to set global benchmarks in efficiency through sustainability, Bord Bia remains steadfast in its mission to provide chefs and consumers access to sustainably produced food with independently verified sustainability credentials.
| Fact box:
·Total value of Irish products imported by the UAE in 2022: €104,903,155, reflecting a significant increase of 70% compared to 2021. · Among all categories in 2022, Dairy emerged as the most popular, amounting to €78,875,578. · The total value of Irish products imported by the Middle East in 2022 reached €363,596,984, showcasing a notable increase of 13% from 2021. · From January 2023 to September 2023, the UAE imported Irish products worth €79,552,201, indicating a substantial increase of 20% compared to January 2022 – September 2022. |
Special thanks to Bord Bia (Lorna Allen, Bord Bia Middle East Market Specialist; David Kennedy, Head of Dairy; Jake McLoughlin, Bord Bia Communications Coordinator; Robert Murphy, Dairy Executive, and the rest of the wonderful team) and partners (including Joudat Waleed at Manara Global) for inviting me to explore all the Irish excellence on the beautiful Emerald Island.
To the exceptional farmers who continue to carry the quality, legacy, and future of the Irish family farming heritage forward, thank you for giving me a glimpse of your significant role in the sustainability of Ireland’s food security and the sector’s continued success.
Killowen Farm: This family-owned farm, situated in the southeast of Ireland at the foothills of the Blackstairs Mountains in Wexford, provides the only yoghurt on the breakfast tables at the 7 Star Burj Al Arab in Dubai. The Dunnes farmers have lived and worked on this family farm for nine generations and more than 200 years. They are immensely proud of their single-origin yoghurts and the brand they have created, which was recently acknowledged by Love Irish Food as Killowen received the Brand Development Award for 2022.
Shane Fitzgerald’s Farm: Shane Fitzgerald runs a dairy farm alongside his partner Kate and father John in Portlaw, Co Waterford, on the southwest coast of Ireland. He is currently milking 217 cows on 92 hectares of land. Shane is part of the Teagasc Signpost program, a multi-annual campaign to lead climate action by all Irish farmers. Last year, as part of the royal visit to Ireland, King Charles visited the Fitzgerald farm to see firsthand.
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers: Operating as both farmers and cheesemakers, Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers has won numerous awards at the World Cheese Awards, Great Taste Awards (UK), and Mondial du Fromage Awards (France) for their iconic Blue Cheese. Cashel Blue Cheese is widely available in the UK. Sarah Furno is the Co-owner and General Manager at Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers.
