Glanbia Ireland achieves Origin Green Gold Status

The awarding of the Origin Green Gold Standard recognises Glanbia Ireland’s efforts to excel in sustainable food production as part of Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability programme.

Glanbia Ireland was just one of 26 of Ireland’s leading food businesses who received the inaugural Gold Status Membership in a special online ceremony.

The company was strongly recommended for the community-wide, green initiatives such as Operation WildNation and Operation PolliNation which are championed by Glanbia CountryLife’s horticulturists and teams at the 14 award-winning garden centres. These helped drive the planting of free flowering perennials, wild bird conservation and had a strong educational role in communities through outreach to schools.

A further initiative launched over the past month, Operation Biodiversity, builds on this strong foundation.

In the past, all Origin Green companies were given the designation of being a ‘verified member’. Gold Membership is a new initiative and further recognition of Glanbia Ireland’s significant strides and sustainability efforts as a founder member and strong supporter of the pioneering food and drink sustainability programme, those behind the initiative say.

Origin Green holds the unique position of being the only sustainability programme globally to measure and monitor sustainability across the entire national food supply chain. 

Glanbia Ireland CEO, Jim Bergin, said it was strong recognition of the work that is being carried out by the company in this area.

“In 2015 Glanbia Ingredients, as it was then known, became the first company to win the Origin Green Sustainability Award and now again in 2020, as Glanbia Ireland, we have achieved another first as we find ourselves among the first companies to achieve Gold status.

“There are 324 Origin Green members and Gold member status has been awarded to just 26 of those involved.

“It is a great honour to be made a Gold Member, reflecting all of the hard work and achievements that our teams have been making across our entire business.”

At a time of significant challenge for the global food sector, sustainability remains a key issue for retail and foodservice customers across the globe who procure Irish food and drink produce, he added.

Since its inception, Origin Green has grown to collaborate with 53,000 farms and 324 leading Irish food and drink companies to prove and improve the sustainability of the products they produce to meet the evolving needs of global customers and consumers.

Verified members account for 90% of food and drink exports, and 70% of domestic retailers.