Origin Green and All-Ireland Pollinator Plan are hosting a 'Pathways to Biodiversity' webinars series from April 26.

Biodiversity provides a variety of benefits including production of food and water, maintenance of soil fertility, control of climate and disease, nutrient cycling, and crop pollination. Biodiversity and pollination are crucial to a healthy environment and sustainable agriculture, and the Origin Green programme is committed to supporting companies in protecting and enhancing Ireland’s unique biodiversity.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a national organisation that collates, manages, analyses, and disseminates information on Ireland’s biodiversity. Biodiversity data gives us greater insight into how we benefit from, and impact on, the ecosystem (e.g. pollination) provided by biological diversity. Bord Bia has a strategic partnership in place with the National Biodiversity Data Centre to support companies in identifying and implementing SMART company level biodiversity targets in line with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) 2021-2025.

All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a framework bringing together different sectors across the island of Ireland to

create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. Within the All- Ireland Pollinator Plan, a framework for businesses was established in 2016, in collaboration with Bord Bia.

In Association with

In supporting the pollinator plan, each AIPP business supporter agrees to take evidence-based actions and, as part of biodiversity accountability and measurement, to provide simple, specific GIS mapping updates on actions implemented each year. Protecting and enhancing biodiversity has been a key focus of the Origin Green

programme and the partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre supports Origin Green participants to develop biodiversity strategies for their own businesses.

As part of this partnership, Bord Bia co-funds a dedicated Agri-Business Biodiversity Officer to provide expertise and guidance on Origin Green member companies’ biodiversity targets. To date, over 50

Origin Green members have reported on their All-Ireland Pollinator Plan progress to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Pathways to Biodiversity Webinars

From April, Origin Green, in conjunction with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, will be hosting the next Pathways to Biodiversity webinars. The first webinar of 2023, on April 26, will focus on Farmer-Suppliers and engagement in pollinators-biodiversity, and will cover what the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan evidence-based actions look like

for farm-suppliers from a Processor perspective. The webinar will include talks from company representatives such as John Durkan, Environmental and Sustainability Manager at ABP Food Group, Ruth Wilson, AIPP  Farmland Officer on the Farmland Actions for beef, dairy and horticulture.

Later webinars will address Biodiversity Metrics on a Farm: Measurement to Management, and focus on how agri-business processors are supporting farmer-suppliers to engage with and manage pollinators-biodiversity and then measure what is on their site.

Speaking ahead of the webinar series, Deirdre Ryan, Director of Quality Assurance and Sustainability at Bord Bia, commented “We know that biodiversity and pollination are crucial to a healthy environment and sustainable agriculture, and the Origin Green programme has long been committed to supporting companies in protecting and enhancing Ireland’s unique biodiversity.

“We look forward to hosting the next series of targeted workshops on biodiversity for Origin Green members, as we build on the progress made so far through Bord Bia’s funding of a dedicated Agri-Business Biodiversity Officer to provide guidance and resources to support members in taking evidence-based actions for protecting pollinators and biodiversity.”

To find out more about the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan – Business Supporters contact Sarah Kelly  skelly@biodiversityireland.ie or visit www.pollinators.ie