Musgrave first food retailer in Ireland to achieve Bord Bia Origin Green status
Bord Bia's Aidan Cotter says extension of Origin Green to retail sector "opens up new opportunities to build on the sustainability of the Irish supply chain from farm to fork”
Print23 May 2016
Musgrave has become the first food retail and wholesale group in Ireland to become a verified member of the Origin Green sustainability programme; Ireland’s national sustainability programme for the food and drink industry.
Bord Bia’s Origin Green initiative is the only sustainability programme in the world that operates on a national scale, uniting government, the private sector and food producers and now for the first time food retailers.
Commenting on achieving verified membership, Chris Martin, CEO, Musgrave said: “As a family business we are determined to leave a positive and lasting legacy for future generations. At Musgrave, we are focused on growing good business through long-term partnerships that achieve sustainable, profitable returns, enrich everyday lives and contribute to a healthier, more prosperous and environmentally-conscious society.
“As we celebrate our 140th anniversary and embark on the next chapter in our history we have an ambitious agenda to grow the business, an agenda which will continue to see sustainable business practices at its core,” Martin added.
Specific targets in key areas
As an Origin Green verified member, Musgrave is committed to build on its sustainability credentials and to achieve measurable sustainability targets in key areas. The Musgrave submission reflects the business’s own three-year sustainability strategy and outlines the ambition, initiatives and specific targets that the business has committed to achieve in key areas including: minimising environmental and climate change impacts, driving sustainable sourcing and consumption; leading in health and wellbeing and taking an active leadership role in the community.
Musgrave will be required to report its progress against these commitments annually and to communicate regularly with Bord Bia as well as being subject to ongoing verification by external auditors appointed by Bord Bia to maintain the integrity of the programme.
New milestone for Origin Green
Aidan Cotter, CEO, Bord Bia decribed Musgrave’s accreditation as marking “a new milestone in the development of the programme since its launch in 2012. As the world’s first national sustainability programme, its extension to the retail sector opens up new opportunities to build on the sustainability of the Irish supply chain from farm to fork.”
Since its launch in June 2012, Origin Green has grown and developed to include over 50,000 farmer members and over 500 food and drink manufacturers. It has become the principal platform from which to promote Irish food and drink across the global marketplace, supporting an industry whose exports last year exceeded €10.8 billion.
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