The National Dairy Council (NDC) recently announced that it is sponsoring the Outstanding Contribution to Food Production award at this year’s Good Food Ireland Awards, which take place on Monday, 17 April.
Farming is the backbone of Ireland’s agri-food business, boosting our tourism industry and supporting the economy of our rural environments,” said Margaret Jeffares, founder and managing director of Good Food Ireland.
“This honorary award from Good Food Ireland is to recognise and celebrate the thousands of farmers all over Ireland that provide the primary ingredients for menus what we eat and drink every day.
“This award is for the farmers who send their milk to the co-ops, who never engage directly with consumers and really are, as we see it, the unsung heroes of our food industry. On behalf of our tourism hospitality businesses and our customers we want to say thank you to farmers and honour them through this award. Farming is a generational legacy and offers an immense cultural contribution to Irish tourism and the wider community.”
Good Food Ireland Awards
Now returning for the first time since before the pandemic, the highly coveted Good Food Ireland Awards will take place on Monday, 17 April at The K Club, Co Kildare.
The high- profile business lunch will be opened by guest of honour, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, and attended by some 300 guests, including business owners, Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders.
Sustainable Farming
“Farmers are the driving force behind quality products that people want to purchase and are a key part of a healthy, modern lifestyle - the demand for which just keeps increasing – and yet, as an industry, what we are doing in the area of sustainability simply is not being recognised,” said Zoë Kavanagh, CEO of the National Dairy Council.
“These awards are unique in the way that they champion Ireland’s primary food producers. Good Food Ireland wants to shine a light on biodiversity at farm level, as well as the way producers grow, cultivate, and harvest premium food produce to leading chefs, establishments, and retailers. Now, more than ever, it is important to show all the hard work and innovation that is happening within the Irish farming industry.”
Ireland’s 17,500 dairy farmers work 365 days a year to produce the highest quality dairy produce, which is revered all over the world, exporting to 191 countries with an €6.2 billion contribution to the economy.
Excellence In Dairy Food Production
“There has never been a more important time to celebrate excellence in dairy farming and highlight the hard work and dedication of some of Ireland’s top dairy food producers,” said Zoë.
“Our climate and land produce dairy with one of the lowest carbon footprints internationally, primarily due to the unique Irish grass-fed, family-farmed system which is extremely efficient and involves less intensive farming. During challenging times, people need to have trust in what they know.
“Dairy is nutritious, accessible, and affordable and is recognised as a vital part of people’s diet and general health across the life stages, making it indispensable to Ireland’s social and economic well-being.”
Sponsors
The awards are sponsored by the National Dairy Council, Kerrygold, the Irish Farmers Association, Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia.
For full details on the individual awards, tickets to the event, and general information about Good Food Ireland® visit Goodfoodireland.ie.
For further information on the National Dairy Council, visit: Ndc.ie.
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