Bord Bia has announced a partnership with the leading premium retailer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a sustainability themed promotion of Irish brands.
The partnership with retailer Spinneys will highlight produce that is a part of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme.
The three-week promotion was formally launched yesterday (Monday, February 14), on day two of the government’s trade mission to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, led by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.
This is the first ‘in-person’ trade mission by Bord Bia and the department in two years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A previous ministerial-led trade mission to the region took place in 2017.
Bord Bia said it recently completed a ‘future proofing’ toolkit to form an understanding of preferences and behaviours of consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia emerging from the pandemic.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘Sustainable Ireland’ promotion, Ailish Forde, global business development director for Bord Bia, said the growing demand for sustainable sources of ingredients is an opportunity for Irish exporters.
“Bord Bia’s market insights show us that there is a growing interest in the UAE for healthy and organic foods to boost immunity, along with safely packaged food, as a direct response to food security concerns from consumers who are now more inclined to purchase from a well-known brand where the origin can be traced,” Forde highlighted.
“For individual Irish companies to succeed in the market, we know it is critical that awareness of Ireland as a source of quality, sustainable ingredients is amplified.”
She said that Spinneys is a “valued customer of Irish food and drink with a reputation as a leader in adopting sustainable practices”.
“This consumer-facing promotion, highlighting the sustainability of Irish produce, is a key measure in growing this awareness,” Forde added.
The Spinneys group has 9-10% of the grocery market share in the UAE, being the preferred choice of supermarket for western consumers. It has 51 outlets, and also operates the licence of British supermarket Waitrose in the country.
In recent years Spinneys has taken several steps towards becoming a more sustainable business, including sourcing sustainably produced imported produce.
Sophie Corcut, brand and sustainability manager at Spinneys, said that the retailer’s partnership with Ireland is ideal to meet its customers’ desire for more sustainable shopping choices.
“Spinneys promotes healthier eating, less waste and sustainable production practices, all of which are aligned with what Ireland is doing in its approach to agri-food production, making Ireland a natural partner for us,” she noted.
Corcut added: “Our customers are also placing more value on sustainably produced and traceable produce, which Ireland is a leader at providing from farm to fork through Origin Green.”
The retailer stocks a range of well-known Irish food and drink brands, and all Irish produce available in Spinneys is sourced from producers who are members of Origin Green.
The promotion will run across 10 Spinneys and five Waitrose stores in the UAE until March 6.
Kieran Fitzgerald, Bord Bia’s new regional director for the Middle East, commented: “We know that innovative and mutually beneficial partnerships are necessary to deliver on the region’s strong economic ambitions… Irish exporters are well positioned to deliver on the needs of retailers and foodservice suppliers in the region.”