Food Drink Ireland unveils new 10-year strategy for industry

21 Nov 2019 --- Food Drink Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the food and drink industry in the country, has launched a new report highlighting the critical importance of the sector to Ireland and the main strategic challenges and opportunities to be considered by policymakers over the next decade. The report makes detailed policy recommendations in the areas of skills, competitiveness, market development, innovation, sustainability while highlighting that Brexit policy responses must address all scenarios from a no-deal to a future relationship.

“One in eight jobs in the Irish economy are now linked to agri-food and drink. Sustaining growth for the sector is imperative in sustaining the growth of the wider economy,” stresses Director of Food Drink Ireland, Paul Kelly, who was speaking at the launch of the report.

“The industry’s competitiveness has declined at a time when both opportunities and challenges are increasing. From a competitive standpoint, Irish infrastructure costs such as labor, energy, waste, environment and other business compliance and regulatory costs are significantly out of step against many of the EU competitor economies in whose markets we wish to compete.”

“Costs, in general, facing the sector have increased by 11 percent from their trough in 2011 with half of those increases coming in the past two years. Combined with the sharp depreciation of sterling since 2015, there has been a 30 percent increase in the cost of serving the UK market. A hugely important measure to mitigate the risks and challenges faced by the sector is to implement policies to control our cost base while providing support for companies to innovate and improve both productivity and sustainability.”

Kelly also outlined the importance of ensuring the effective implementation of the Climate Action Plan to support the ambition of the industry.

Some of the recommendations outlined in the report include:

• Increase funding for enterprise-led skills development, open up the Employment Permit system to food processing operatives and increase the focus on automation and digitalization.

• Support an ambitious EU trade agenda that promotes trade both at multilateral and bilateral levels to secure additional market access in strategic growth markets at similar tariff levels to competitors.

• Ensure a strong focus on nationally-funded research and development and involvement in transnational networks such as the EU’s Horizon program.

• An effective implementation of the Climate Action Plan with financing supports for abatement measures as well as sustainable packaging supports.

• Provision of the necessary resources to maintain our world-class food safety regime.

“The food and drink industry is the only major industrial sector with a full domestic supply chain from farm to fork,” adds Kelly. “The sector interacts with a wide range of economic and social interests across Ireland and this is particularly true for the environment. The sustainability credentials of the industry must be recognized and supported, particularly the introduction of carbon abatement measures and reductions in single-use plastics and food waste.”

Edited by Gaynor Selby