Origin Green Ambassadors share their global sustainability insights
Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme, is centred on measurable difference, with independent veri cation at its core, operating across the entire food supply chain and on a national scale. This month we put the spotlight on the Origin Green Ambassadors programme.
Key Sustainability Issues for the Food Industry
Global customers are increasingly prioritising sustainability issues while looking to their suppliers for solutions, evidence and data. These are key issues that the food industry should be aware of and take action on, in order to future-proof their businesses and the reputation of the industry itself.
The Origin Green Ambassador Programme
At the heart of Bord Bia and Origin Green’s sustainability dialogue are the Origin Green Ambassadors. Established in 2013 by Bord Bia Talent Academy and UCD Smurfit Executive Development, this programme has a twofold purpose: knowledge and experience. The programme takes 10 individuals who are passionately committed to the better management of our planet’s resources on a 23-month journey towards an MSc in Business Sustainability.
The Ambassadors are placed at the headquarters of leading food and beverage companies around the world, such as Unilever (UK), Danone (The Netherlands), McDonalds (UK), Starbucks (USA), Mars (UK), Nestlé (Switzerland), Sainsbury’s (UK) and Amazon (UK), among many others. Placed with these global businesses that are playing leading roles in sustainability development, Origin Green Ambassadors have quickly become trusted partners and have taken leadership roles in the development of important initiatives. In doing so, their engagement provides a unique opportunity to share the vision of Origin Green, and the commitment of Irish food and drink companies to it, with senior leadership within global organisations. It also enables Bord Bia to gather invaluable insights on the sustainability agenda in leading organisations and build meaningful collaborations.
The 2021 class of Origin Green Ambassadors are a cohort of sustainability professionals who bring a fresh perspective to our food industry. They recently prepared ve key insight reports focusing on important sustainability topics that affect the food, drink and horticulture industry: Food Waste and Circular Economy; Supply Chain Transparency; Aligning Climate and Supply Chain Strategy; Regenerative Agriculture; and Sustainable Diets.
A summary of these Global Insights Reports was presented to industry leaders at the Origin Green Ambassadors Global Insights Debrief, a virtual event that took place on April 29th. “I would strongly encourage companies to take time to review the Origin Green Ambassador insights reports, as they offer expert commentary on some of the most important challenges facing the food, drink and horticulture industry,” says Deirdre Ryan, Director of Quality Assurance and Origin Green.
“As we know, it has become essential for all competitive organisations to know how to effectively embed a climatecentric culture across their business operations. These reports are valuable resources to help companies stay ahead and informed in the fast-paced changing world of sustainability.”
The series of five Global Insights Reports written by the Origin Green Ambassadors, as well as the summary presentations and recording of the Origin Green Ambassadors Global Insights Debrief, are now available on Bord Bia’s Origin Green website: origingreen.ie