Here are some of the best quotes from stories that featured on Checkout throughout 2019.
January
“Minister Creed needs to put on the green jersey and tog out, right now, for Irish farmers who are facing a potential Armageddon from Brexit,” said Joe Healy, President of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), who called on Agriculture Minister, Michael Creed, to get commission support for farmers who are already bearing the brunt of the impending Brexit through disastrous beef prices.
February
“Sometimes, if one was to believe all the negative commentary that is targeted at the Irish agriculture sector, one would almost believe you could produce food without producing greenhouse gases […] If you want to be fed, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or meat-eating, they all have a carbon footprint, every one of them,” said the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Michael Creed, whilst speaking at the Seanad on 14 of February.
March
“As a business rooted in agriculture, PepsiCo recognises the power of agriculture to lift people out of poverty and feed families […] She Feeds the World will help millions of small-hold women farmers get the resources and training they need to increase their crop yields, access markets and gain more reliable sources of income,” said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO and The PepsiCo Foundation Chairman, after The PepsiCo Foundation announced a partnership with the global poverty-fighting organisation Care, pledging an $18.2 million grant to tackle gender inequality in the agriculture sector.
April
"As the founder of Superquinn, Feargal was a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer. Beyond the world of retail, Feargal made a significant and lasting contribution to Irish society and to political life as a member of Seanad Eireann […] He was a leader who will be deeply missed. Feargal was also a good friend to Musgrave and on behalf of everyone here, I would like to share our condolences with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time," said Musgrave Group CEO Chris Martin, following the passing of Superquinn supermarket chain founder, entrepreneur and former senator Feargal Quinn at the age of 82, following a short illness.
May
“Rising insurance premiums, fraudulent and exaggerated claims and general inefficiencies in our insurance market have become a major competitiveness issue for retailers in recent years […] Unless urgent reform is forthcoming, many retailers will simply be unable to meet growing premiums into the future," said Thomas Burke, director of Retail Ireland, who decried that the increase in personal injury awards is threatening the viability of the retail sector in Ireland.
June
“Woke-washing is beginning to infect our industry. It’s polluting purpose. It’s putting in peril the very thing which offers us the opportunity to help tackle many of the world’s issues […] What’s more, it threatens to further destroy trust in our industry, when it’s already in short supply,” said Unilever CEO Alan Jope, referring to the practice of woke-washing (brand campaigns promising improve the world but failing to take real action) whilst speaking at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
July
"Support from companies like M&S help us to provide our members with an open space to make positive life choices, be it through educational support, career guidance, finding a sport they love or looking at how they spend their time with their friends.” Gillian Collins, Operations Manager of Belvedere Youth Club said referring to when M&S announced its plans to support 40 local community projects across the country to mark its 40th year in Ireland.
August
“'Liberty Fields' highlights the importance of camaraderie well beyond the field of play and the role it has in enriching the lives of those involved," said Jamie Heaslip, Former Irish International Rugby Player when Guinness unveiled its latest TV advertisement and also a five minute documentary which shows the inspirational story of a Japanese women.
September
“As part of the Government’s Future Jobs Ireland framework, the pilot Online Retail Scheme is an important initiative to ensure that our retail businesses can remain competitive in a changing world where traditional business operations are increasingly being disrupted by new technology,” said Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys referring to recipients of the second call of the pilot Online Retail Scheme, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland when a total of 29 retailers were awarded €659,550 in funding as part of the €1.25 million fund.
October
"The first category we were nominated for was Entertainment & Leisure, and at the end, it was our Irish Times Acrylic Newspaper Tower with the iconic Tara Street clock that took the Gold Award. The next category that we were nominated for was Short Run Permanent Display. Again, we were fortunate enough to collect the Gold Award for our Heineken Zero Zone shelving unit with incorporated refrigerator," said Martin Hendricken Sales Manager, SEL referring to the two gold gongs, the company won at the 2019 POPAI Awards, which took place in the Royal Lancaster Hotel in Hyde Park, London in October.
November
"The development of the Chinese and Mexican markets for European pigmeat and the Chinese market for European poultry is of the utmost importance in maintaining and growing these sectors in Ireland and in assuring a viable return for producers." said the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, who welcomed the news that Bord Bia had been awarded €3.05 million towards a €3.82 million Bord Bia information and promotional campaign, promoting European pork and poultry over three years in China and Mexico.
December
“Ireland’s drinks industry has the ambition to become a world leader in innovation and sustainability and access to cutting-edge research is critical to achieving this goal, " said Patricia Callan, director of Drinks Ireland.
Callan was referring to the news that €856,746 has been awarded to a new research project in brewing and distilling by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine in December.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern & Jamie Lane. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
