There is no friction between organic and conventional Irish food in marketing the two sets of produce, Bord Bia has said.

Speaking at a webinar this Friday, Bord Bia’s organic sector manager Emmet Doyle said organic and conventional Irish food target two separate consumer needs.

“They are not in competition at all. Looking at organics, it’s only ever going to be max 10% of output.

“Where we see the opportunity is that a lot of these retailers and consumers are looking for something that is certified organic. Our conventional can’t meet that, so it’s a different tier,” he said.

Complement

Doyle added that the reputation of conventional Irish food complements marketing organic produce.

“In talking to massive retailers across Europe, they see the quality of conventional [Irish] beef, lamb and dairy and the reputation of that as a gateway to extend those ranges into organics.

“They’re never going to be competing against each other. We have an unbelievable reputation for our grass-based system.

“They’re not in competition at all. We would never undermine conventional for organics. Again, it’s a bolt on to our offer at the moment,” he said.