In a world of challenged resources – not least a global pandemic – the case for making the business landscape even more sustainable is a given. Sustainability and the significant role it plays in bettering all aspects of the industry has never been more important.
The ‘green’ conversation is of global significance, but it begins with every business adopting its own sense of responsibility. For the food industry, sustainability is the touchstone of progressive business practices.
Every aspect of success – from the supply chain to management to future planning – needs a journey shaped by the right kind of sustainability-driven incentives and thinking.
Since its launch in 2012, Origin Green – the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme – has emerged as a true leader in this global dialogue.
Today, Origin Green works with almost 300 food and drink companies across Ireland, representing over 90% of Irish food and drink exports, and over 54,000 farmers.
Educating The Industry
According to Bord Bia, spreading awareness and educating the industry is just one aspect, and at the heart of this dialogue and learning are the Origin Green Ambassadors.
Established in 2013 by Bord Bia Talent Academy and UCD Smurfit Executive Development, the Origin Green Ambassadors are participants in an MSc in Business Sustainability.
The programme is designed for individuals seeking to expand on expertise already gained in their careers to date and has a two-fold purpose – knowledge and experience.
Over 23 months, classes are delivered by some of the world’s best food industry educators from leading business schools, among them Harvard, IMD, NYU Stern, and UCD. The ambassadors develop cutting edge thinking on sustainability and the global food industry.
In tandem with this, the practical application of knowledge in the business environment is key, with intensive placements at the headquarters of global firms such as Danone (The Netherlands), McDonalds (UK), Starbucks (USA), Almarai (Saudi Arabia), Nestlé (Switzerland), Marks & Spencer (UK), Costco (USA), and Amazon (UK), among many others.
This year’s graduates have prepared five key insight reports which are now available on Bord Bia’s Origin Green website: origingreen.ie.
The reports focus on some of the most important challenges facing the food, drink and horticulture industry – Food Waste and Circular Economy, Supply Chain Transparency, Aligning Climate and Supply Chain Strategy, Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Diets.
Origin Green Ambassadors
Origin Green Ambassadors have worked alongside key influencers in some of the world’s biggest food and drink companies and have gained business sustainability, supply chain and export development expertise.
Their ongoing engagement with Irish food companies gives them a deep appreciation of the relationship between commercial success and sustainable practice, and they are ideally placed to provide expert insight on sustainability challenges and trends for the future.
“I would strongly encourage companies to take time to review the Origin Green Ambassador insight reports, as they offer expert commentary on some of the most important challenges facing the food, drink and horticulture industry,” says Deirdre Ryan, director of quality assurance and Origin Green.
“As we know, it has become essential for all competitive organisations to know how to effectively embed a climate centric culture across their business operations. These reports are valuable resources to help companies stay ahead and informed in the fast-paced changing world of sustainability.”
Class Of 2021
The 2021 class of Origin Green Ambassadors are about to graduate and will be available for recruitment to expert sustainability roles. Throughout the course of the programme, they have actively contributed to successful sustainability and supply chain initiatives, and have been exposed to the cutting edge of thinking around sustainability and supply chain in the food and drink industry globally.
Commenting on the class of 2021, Michael Murphy, Organisation and Industry Talent Director at Bord Bia said: “For any organisation looking to recruit in this business critical space, I would encourage them to review our CV booklet available on origingreen.ie.
“Two years immersed in deep-dive learning, while also gaining invaluable insight and experience within global food organisations, has produced professionals with the expertise and skills necessary to play their part in the ever-important global conversation on sustainability.
It is with a huge sense of pride that we present the class of 2021 – a cohort of sustainability professionals who bring a fresh perspective to the food industry.
These are individuals who have excelled in their approach to learning and they now emerge as sustainability professionals skilled to meet the challenges and needs of the Irish food sector.”
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