ORIGIN GREEN
Origin Green is a leading Irish sustainability programme for the entire Irish food and drink industry. Origin Green is the only sustainability programme in the world that operates on a national scale, uniting government, the private sector and food producers through Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. The Origin Green programme is fully committed to developing more stringent ways of working which will see 100% of Ireland’s food and drink exports on the road to sustainability by 2016, incorporating areas as diverse as energy usage, emissions, waste, water use, animal welfare, biodiversity and social sustainability. Independently verified, it enables Ireland’s farmers and producers to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets – reducing environmental impact, serving local communities more effectively and protecting the extraordinarily rich natural resources that our country enjoys.
Based on its commitment to sustainability, Irish Country Meats was selected to become one of the ten pilot companies participating in Origin Green. Participants are asked to develop and implement a sustainability action plan covering a period of up to five years, which can be renewed/ updated as appropriate at the end of the period. It clearly defines the areas chosen to deliver change in business practice to minimise its impact on the environment. A strong, continuous improvement ethos underpins this plan, and indeed the overall Origin Green campaign.
Irish Country Meats is not only stepping up to the responsibility to become more sustainable itself, but it also helps its customer base, including retailers, wholesalers and foodservice businesses, achieve their sustainability objectives. The company recognises that it is not yet finished and it acknowledges that becoming a more sustainable and more responsible business is a journey that continues. By focusing on what matters most and where it can make the biggest difference, we are clearly on the right path. The company will continue to work for outcomes that are sustainable and scalable. Every step, no matter the size, is a step in the right direction.
