Bord Bia has announced the launch of a series of campaigns promoting Irish meat, in conjunction with the European Union (EU), in China this week.
The announcement coincides with the Irish trade mission to China led by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, which is taking place this week.
A total of €8 million will be invested in the promotional campaigns.
According to Bord Bia, the EU campaign investment in China is expected to result in €37 million growth in Irish beef and lamb exports to the Chinese market.
The co-funded campaigns aim to promote meat from Europe in the Chinese market and also aim to build awareness of Ireland as a supplier of high-quality, safe, and sustainably produced beef, lamb, pork, and poultry.
Day one of the Irish trade mission to China was yesterday (Monday, May 15). Bord Bia hosted its first chef masters’ event in Beijing, which brought together the top players in the Chinese foodservice sector for a showcase of how Irish beef and pork can be adapted to Chinese cuisine.
The event, titled ‘Sustainable European Meat from Ireland’, provided the opportunity for new and existing Chinese customers to connect with Irish meat companies and sample Irish beef during a networking reception at the end of the seminar.
Following on from this, a trade seminar is set to take place in Shanghai tomorrow (Wednesday, May 17).
The trade seminar will bring together two of Bord Bia’s EU co-funded campaigns:
- European Beef and Lamb – Ireland, Working with Nature (€4.8 million investment);
- European Pork and Poultry: Excellence in Food Safety and Quality Assurance (€3.8 million investment).
The three-year, €4.8 million EU co-funded campaign, European Beef and Lamb – Ireland, Working with Nature, has been building awareness of beef and lamb across China, Japan, South Korea and the US since last December.
The campaigns are timely given the resumption of Irish beef exports to China earlier this year.
The three-year, €3.8 million EU co-funded campaign, European Pork and Poultry: Excellence in Food Safety and Quality Assurance, has been building awareness of Ireland’s quality assurance and food safety credentials in China and Mexico since 2020.
Speaking from Beijing yesterday (Monday, May 15), Minister McConalogue said: “China is a very important trading partner for the Irish agri-food sector and we look forward to continually strengthening this trading relationship.
“It is fitting that the European Union has selected Ireland to showcase the best meat Europe has to offer, with the two EU Campaigns for beef, pork, lamb, and poultry.
“These events will involve key messaging on Ireland’s sustainably produced grass-fed beef and lamb, and will demonstrate Irish beef and pork’s suitability and adaptability to Chinese cuisine.”
In addition to these physical activities, the campaigns will undertake a suite of digital promotional activities, such as website and social media, advertising, and recipe video development, showcasing how European meat from Ireland can be adapted to reflect a fusion of western and Chinese cuisines.
Bord Bia’s senior manager for EU promotions Declan Fennell said: “These co-funded campaigns with the EU are pivotal in extending the global footprint of Irish meat in China and are expected to result in €37 million in return in Irish beef and lamb exports to the market.”
Fennell said that given the challenges in recent years with restricted access to China during the pandemic, a large focus of the campaigns will be building new relationships between Irish exporters and local importers and distributors in China.
He continued: “Ireland’s beef, lamb, pork and poultry adhere to the highest quality and traceability standards and are valued by consumers worldwide.
“The EU campaign’s focus will be about building awareness of the advantages of the European, and more specifically Irish, outdoor grass-based production systems.
“These events in China showcase what makes Irish meat special and attractive to the Chinese consumer.”
The launch of the EU campaigns in China follows on from a recent visit of officials from China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to Ireland on a knowledge transfer programme organised by Bord Bia.
This included visits to Irish farms and processors (and government departments) to learn about Ireland’s sustainable practices and high-quality production of pork and poultry.