Submission to the 2015 Agri Food Committee
June 2004
Asking Agri Food 2015 to Accept our Policy Recommendations as a National Priority in order to:
4.0 Artisan and Speciality Food’s Contribution to the Agri Food Sector 2015
4.1 Aims
Aim 1. To develop a world-class market oriented speciality foods sector delivering sustainable growth in output, trade and producer income at scale[1]
and
Aim 2 To maximise the contribution of the speciality foods sector to diversifying agriculture and developing the potential of our rural economy.
Strategy 1 Investment in research
(a) To evaluate the consumer and market potential of the predicted €7.5 billion combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain for producers in Ireland
(b) To compare Ireland in speciality food production and marketing with key international benchmarks
(c) To review the impact of a country’s food culture on its image (and vice versa) and the subsequent creation of wealth as input into the development of an authentic food plan for Ireland.
Strategy 2 Development of an authentic food plan for Ireland
Strategy 3 Development of Ireland’s artisan food skills
Strategy 4 Fostering of an entrepreneurial culture in speciality food
4.2 Strategies
4.3 Strategies Explained
Strategy 1 Investment in research
Three research projects are urgently required as follows:
(a) To evaluate the consumer and market potential of the €7.5 billion combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain for producers in Ireland
The combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain are valued at €6.1 billion and are forecast to grow by 23% over the next three years to €7.5 billion p.a.
This market needs formal consumer led assessment in category, volume and profit potential for existing and potential speciality food producers of small and large scale including the opportunity for diversifying farm producers down the chain.
(b) To compare Ireland in speciality food production and marketing with the key international benchmarks of New Zealand, France, Italy and the USA.
New Zealand has 2,000 speciality food producers whilst Ireland has just 320. France and Italy own large artisan food business models, which perform to multi million euros turnover, profit and scale in exports. The USA is seeing the emergence and fast growth of large artisan food business models with multi million euro turnover and profit.
(c) To review the impact of a country’s food culture on its image (and vice versa) and the subsequent creation of wealth as input into the development of an authentic food plan for Ireland.
Authentic speciality food carries higher margin and more sustainable sales potential than faddish speciality foods. Authenticity in speciality food for Ireland is therefore strategically significant. Consumer perceptions of Ireland’s speciality foods’ current and potential capability in dairy, meat, fish and organics[2] needs to be built on.
In particular understanding the connection between authenticity and food culture needs formal research. For example, how much of a bearing does Italian food culture have on the national and international sales potential for Parma Ham?
Strategy 2 Development of an Authentic Food Plan for Ireland
Using the above research a current and potential inventory of authentic foods from Ireland, linked to consumer perceptions regarding authentic Irish food, should be listed and a detailed implementation plan should be put into position to exploit the identified opportunities.
Strategy 3 Development of Ireland’s Artisan Food Skills
An artisan food apprenticeship scheme for producers and retailers in Ireland needs urgent development in order to
Spread, protect and enhance our artisan food skill base in practice.
.
Strategy 4 A Fostering of Entrepreneurial Culture in Speciality Food
New start-ups need to be motivated in the area of authentic Irish foods particularly from the farm level up.
EHO training in authentic food production by category is crucial in ensuring relevant and consistent interpretation of the regulations across the various food safety implementers to support the development of authentic foods.
Strategy 5 Marketing to Secure High Price Positions for Irish Speciality Food
Bord Bia’s role in linking buyers and sellers, running flagship buyer forums (such as the International Speciality Foods Symposium in Kinsale), their ongoing relationships and dialogue with multiple retailers and foodservice trading directors, category managers and buyers should facilitate sales at premium prices.
In addition Bord Bia’s role in working with food companies to improve marketing competencies should focus on optimal pricing and distribution but also importantly including presentation and packaging. Improved marketing competencies is central to this process.
Strategy 6 Investment in Educating the Public in Ireland Regarding Irish artisan Food
The education curriculum regarding food at Pre School, Primary and Secondary level should be reviewed and a set of recommendations should be made regarding curriculum enhancements around the understanding of artisan food.
Specific extra curricular schemes/projects should be developed in particular for the 6-11 year old category. One example would be the introduction of growing an edible garden for harvesting, cooking and tasting in schools.
All university/college and adult education courses in food should be researched and a plan for the development and implementation of out reach modules for regional expansion should be developed.
[1] Scale in terms of number of operators and the individual growth of some into large artisan business models.
[2] Bord Bia/Sadgek Wynberg research shows that ABC1 consumers from the urban cities of Dublin, Cork, London, Paris, Milan, New York associate Ireland and speciality food with dairy, meat, fish and organics in that order.
Asking Agri Food 2015 to Accept our Policy Recommendations as a National Priority in order to:
- Develop a world-class market oriented high profit, speciality foods sector delivering sustainable growth in output, trade and producer income
- Maximise the contribution of speciality food for diversifying local agriculture to develop the potential of our rural economy.
4.0 Artisan and Speciality Food’s Contribution to the Agri Food Sector 2015
4.1 Aims
Aim 1. To develop a world-class market oriented speciality foods sector delivering sustainable growth in output, trade and producer income at scale[1]
and
Aim 2 To maximise the contribution of the speciality foods sector to diversifying agriculture and developing the potential of our rural economy.
Strategy 1 Investment in research
(a) To evaluate the consumer and market potential of the predicted €7.5 billion combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain for producers in Ireland
(b) To compare Ireland in speciality food production and marketing with key international benchmarks
(c) To review the impact of a country’s food culture on its image (and vice versa) and the subsequent creation of wealth as input into the development of an authentic food plan for Ireland.
Strategy 2 Development of an authentic food plan for Ireland
Strategy 3 Development of Ireland’s artisan food skills
Strategy 4 Fostering of an entrepreneurial culture in speciality food
4.2 Strategies
4.3 Strategies Explained
Strategy 1 Investment in research
Three research projects are urgently required as follows:
(a) To evaluate the consumer and market potential of the €7.5 billion combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain for producers in Ireland
The combined speciality food markets of Ireland and Britain are valued at €6.1 billion and are forecast to grow by 23% over the next three years to €7.5 billion p.a.
This market needs formal consumer led assessment in category, volume and profit potential for existing and potential speciality food producers of small and large scale including the opportunity for diversifying farm producers down the chain.
(b) To compare Ireland in speciality food production and marketing with the key international benchmarks of New Zealand, France, Italy and the USA.
New Zealand has 2,000 speciality food producers whilst Ireland has just 320. France and Italy own large artisan food business models, which perform to multi million euros turnover, profit and scale in exports. The USA is seeing the emergence and fast growth of large artisan food business models with multi million euro turnover and profit.
(c) To review the impact of a country’s food culture on its image (and vice versa) and the subsequent creation of wealth as input into the development of an authentic food plan for Ireland.
Authentic speciality food carries higher margin and more sustainable sales potential than faddish speciality foods. Authenticity in speciality food for Ireland is therefore strategically significant. Consumer perceptions of Ireland’s speciality foods’ current and potential capability in dairy, meat, fish and organics[2] needs to be built on.
In particular understanding the connection between authenticity and food culture needs formal research. For example, how much of a bearing does Italian food culture have on the national and international sales potential for Parma Ham?
Strategy 2 Development of an Authentic Food Plan for Ireland
Using the above research a current and potential inventory of authentic foods from Ireland, linked to consumer perceptions regarding authentic Irish food, should be listed and a detailed implementation plan should be put into position to exploit the identified opportunities.
Strategy 3 Development of Ireland’s Artisan Food Skills
An artisan food apprenticeship scheme for producers and retailers in Ireland needs urgent development in order to
Spread, protect and enhance our artisan food skill base in practice.
.
Strategy 4 A Fostering of Entrepreneurial Culture in Speciality Food
New start-ups need to be motivated in the area of authentic Irish foods particularly from the farm level up.
EHO training in authentic food production by category is crucial in ensuring relevant and consistent interpretation of the regulations across the various food safety implementers to support the development of authentic foods.
Strategy 5 Marketing to Secure High Price Positions for Irish Speciality Food
Bord Bia’s role in linking buyers and sellers, running flagship buyer forums (such as the International Speciality Foods Symposium in Kinsale), their ongoing relationships and dialogue with multiple retailers and foodservice trading directors, category managers and buyers should facilitate sales at premium prices.
In addition Bord Bia’s role in working with food companies to improve marketing competencies should focus on optimal pricing and distribution but also importantly including presentation and packaging. Improved marketing competencies is central to this process.
Strategy 6 Investment in Educating the Public in Ireland Regarding Irish artisan Food
The education curriculum regarding food at Pre School, Primary and Secondary level should be reviewed and a set of recommendations should be made regarding curriculum enhancements around the understanding of artisan food.
Specific extra curricular schemes/projects should be developed in particular for the 6-11 year old category. One example would be the introduction of growing an edible garden for harvesting, cooking and tasting in schools.
All university/college and adult education courses in food should be researched and a plan for the development and implementation of out reach modules for regional expansion should be developed.
[1] Scale in terms of number of operators and the individual growth of some into large artisan business models.
[2] Bord Bia/Sadgek Wynberg research shows that ABC1 consumers from the urban cities of Dublin, Cork, London, Paris, Milan, New York associate Ireland and speciality food with dairy, meat, fish and organics in that order.