Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Senator Pippa Hackett, announced today (Monday, October 23) that Bord Bia will commence the largest ever national campaign for Irish organics.
The €1 million campaign will run from November 6 until December 17, with a second round due in spring 2024.
The ‘more-ganic’ campaign will target Irish consumers aged 24 to 44 across a range of media including TikTok, YouTube, radio, and outdoor advertising.
It also features partnerships with retailers, ‘foodie’ influencers and the sponsorship of a top-rated podcast.
Minister Pippa Hackett made the announcement at the Natexpo International Trade in Paris; the largest show for organic products in France.
The minister is attending the show with Bord Bia and nine Irish organic producers as part of ongoing efforts to grow the market for Irish organic produce across Europe.
Organics
Over 2,000 farmers joined the Organic Farming Scheme in 2023, doubling the number of organic farms in Ireland.
There are now approximately 180,000ha under organic production in Ireland, representing 4% of total agricultural land.
The Climate Action Plan targets an increase in the area of land under organic production to approximately 445,000ha, or 10% of land, by the end of the decade.
€57 million was allocated to organic farming under Budget 2024, which is a 54% increase in the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) budget.
A new market-led strategic plan for the development of the organic sector up to 2030 is also currently in development.
Minister Hackett said the new campaign from Bord Bia is another “crucial component” in DAFM’s commitment to boost the Irish organic sector.
“The delivery of this Bord Bia campaign was made possible by my department gaining approval for the allocation of €1.5 million in Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funding to Bord Bia for the promotion of organics,” she said.
Marketing campaign
Emmet Doyle, Bord Bia organic sector manager said they expect to see increased volumes of Irish organic food produced over the next three years.
He added:
“The aim of the campaign is to build consumer preference for Irish organic food and drink in tandem with this growing availability”.
Bord Bia worked with key organic stakeholders in the Organic Forum to help develop the marketing campaign and undertook six months of consumer research with over 2,500 Irish organic shoppers.
According to the study, over eight in ten Irish shoppers buy organic food and drink in some capacity.
One in two shoppers claim to buy organic meat and/or dairy on a weekly basis, and eggs and vegetables are the largest category for organic shoppers.
“Using this insight, we identified two cohorts of shoppers to target. These are the middle ground of organic shoppers: they may buy some organics, but it is not a priority for them all the time or they may actively look for organics but can be dissuaded by price.
“The campaign will address this by educating consumers about Irish organic food and drink, and by encouraging them to increase the frequency and quantity of their Irish organic purchases,” Doyle said.
Exports
The Irish market currently consumes half of all organic lamb produced in Ireland with the remainder exported, mainly to Germany and Belgium.
Over one third of all organic Irish beef is sold in Ireland with the remaining two thirds destined for Germany (25%) the UK (22%) and the Netherlands (5%).
Similarly, 30% of organic oats are consumed in Ireland with half of all organic oat exports going to the UK.
95% of organic eggs and 90% of organic dairy are sold on the domestic market. Organic Irish fruit and vegetables have a 7% share of the organic fresh produce market in Ireland.