Interview: Michael Maloney, Origin Green

/ 15th February 2019 /

Origin Green is Ireland’s national food sustainability programme. It is a voluntary programme led by Bord Bia that brings together farmers, food producers, retailers and food service operators with the common goal of sustainable food production.

In this interview, we feature Michael Maloney, Director of Origin Green and Quality Assurance, to find out about how Origin Green is progressing into its seventh year, as well as its impact on the Irish food and drink industry.

Why was Origin Green created?

Ireland enjoys a strong reputation as a source of natural, high-quality food and drink, produced in a country known for its ‘green’ image. We saw a big opportunity to build on this reputation by developing a sustainability programme that would help our exporters prove their sustainability credentials and build Ireland’s reputation as a leader in sustainable food production. Origin Green gives its members a unique point of difference, as it is the first programme of its kind operating on a national scale.

How does the programme work?

Origin Green covers every part of the supply chain, from farms to processors, through to manufacturers and exporters. It provides Irish farmers and food and drink businesses with the framework to collate data that demonstrates progress in key target areas, as well as lessening their impact on the environment, while driving viable business and simultaneously enhancing society.

Under the Origin Green Charter, food and drink producers make commitments under three key areas: raw material sourcing, manufacturing processes and social sustainability.

The charter enables food manufacturers to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets that help them reduce environmental impact, achieve efficiencies in the daily running of their businesses, improve their impact on society and, most importantly, their bottom line as a business.

At farm level, Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance auditors inspect farms every 18 months, compiling data on their sustainability performance. The information gathered by each auditor is combined with data from two other national livestock databases: the Animal Identification & Movement (AIM) and the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF). Regular assessments enable farmers to make informed decisions on improving the sustainability of their farms.

How has Origin Green developed over the past seven years?

Participation in the programme has grown steadily over the years and is now at over 340 member companies. These companies are third-party verified for their sustainability commitments. We have a further 251 companies working on developing their plans for approval.

There are now over 51,000 farmer members of Origin Green. Each week, 100 independent auditors undertake about 650 farm audits, with some 25 million data points collected to date on the performance of Irish farms and their sustainability practices.

The programme aims to continuously evolve to meet customer needs, with additional target areas being added on since 2012. Health and nutrition, now a key focus area within the Origin Green Sustainability Charter, became a mandatory target area within all Origin Green plans in 2016.

What’s in store for Origin Green in 2019?

Packaging is one of these growing concerns and we have now made this a mandatory target area for all members’ plans in 2019. We have also added in a new optional target for companies to set goals around ensuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace.