Tirlán recognised as the only company to achieve Origin Green Gold Membership for fifth year in a row

The Gold Members were formally acknowledged at Bord Bia’s annual Origin Green Sustainability Seminar, which was opened by Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.

110 Irish food and drink companies received Origin Green Gold Membership for their sustainability performance in 2024 Gold Membership is awarded to Origin Green verified companies if they make significant improvements in their sustainability target areas.  Target areas can include supply chain sourcing, water, emissions, waste reductions, packaging, and social sustainability.

A total of 52 Gold Member companies in 2024 came from Leinster, with the highest number of companies coming from Dublin (12), Meath (9) and Wicklow (9).

Dr. Lisa Koep, Tirlán Chief ESG Officer, remarked: “Our ongoing success with the Origin Green Gold award, our fifth in a row, is a testament to the hard work and achievements of our teams and farm families across our entire business, from suppliers to operators to our R&D teams at our Innovation Centre in Ballyragget.”

Tirlán Living Proof Programme

Water quality was a key focus in 2023, and to date the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) initiative has delivered over 677 ASSAP farm visits and water quality improvement plans for farmers in high priority catchment areas to assist in delivering best practice while simultaneously improving Biodiversity.

Tirlán has also launched the River Slaney Project in collaboration with Teagasc and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). This community-based water quality remediation project is designed to set a benchmark in best practices, support farm families in working to maintain and improve water quality on their farms.

Tirlán has introduced a €16 million Sustainability Action Payment to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of its network of over 4,500 family farms. There are 20 sustainability actions for farmers to select from.  

The Sustainable Farming Academy also supported this by providing 20 fully funded diplomas in Environment, Sustainability, and Climate, and three bursaries for Agri courses, which include water quality modules.

Deirdre Ryan, Director of Sustainability and Quality Assurance, Origin Green at Bord Bia, who officially announced the 2024 Gold Members, said:

“To drive continuous change and improvement, each year Origin Green raises the threshold to meet Gold Membership status. The record number of companies awarded Gold Membership this year is reflective of the appetite of the Irish food and drink sector to accelerate their sustainability actions.

Acknowledging the efforts and exemplary performance of these companies ensures that we are rewarding change and inspiring others to take their own steps to better our environment. I look forward to seeing our 2024 Gold Members continue to champion sustainability in the coming years.

In particular, I would like to congratulate Tirlán, which has been recognised as an Origin Green Gold Member for the fifth consecutive year, highlighting its longstanding commitment to improving sustainability at pace.”

This year’s 110 Gold Membership companies come from 24 counties across Ireland and represent sectors including dairy, meat, seafood and aquaculture, confectionary, beverages, and horticulture.

Driving Sustainability Together

The Origin Green Sustainability Seminar featured morning and afternoon panel discussions featuring Origin Green members, while guest speakers included Hakan Nordkvist, Chief Executive of the Net Zero Company; Peter Cosgrove, Founder of Futurewise; and Gavin Barwell, Senior Advisor to PwC.

Speaking on a panel discussion, Aoife Murphy, Chief Ingredients Officer, added:

“Bord Bia Origin Green Membership is an international mark of excellence. As a country, we are lucky to have such a comprehensive programme to showcase our sustainable food production system. Sustainability is embedded and key to all aspects of the Tirlán business. We continue to work collaboratively with our farmers and our customers to deliver more innovative and sustainable dairy and grain ingredients which are crucial in feeding the growing global population and meeting the demand for protein.”