Origin Green provides guidance on implementing Diversity & Inclusion
Origin Green recently released a new Diversity & Inclusion guidance document that has been developed by the organisation’s D&I partners, AgDiF (the Agri-Food Diversity and Inclusion Forum, run by Bord Bia and Aon), and the 30% Club. MARY MORRISSEY, Senior Manager – Client Engagement and co-chair of the AgDiF Forum, explains the importance of supporting Diversity & Inclusion across the food-and-drink sector.
What is AgDiF?
Led by Bord Bia and Aon in partnership with the 30% Club, AgDiF is a collaborative initiative with the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry to advance and support diversity and inclusion, helping to position our foodand-drink sector as the industry of choice for the best talent from around the world.
AgDiF has an advisory board and a taskforce representing industry, state agencies, and representative and professional organisations, including:
● state agencies, such as Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine;
● multinationals, such as the Kerry Group, Glanbia, Greencore, Ornua, Aryzta and Irish Distillers;
● leading Irish food companies, like Keeling’s, Oliver Carty, Kepak, East Coast Bakehouse, Dawn Meats and Errigal Bay;
● professional services and advisory firms, like Aon, Arthur Cox and Accenture;
● representative bodies, like Ibec; and
● advocacy and enabling organisations, such as CERES and the 30% Club.
Why is Diversity & Inclusion important?
There is much research that shows a strong correlation between having a diverse and inclusive workforce at an executive level and strong, profitable companies.1 For an industry or a company to deliver on its growth strategy, it needs to ensure that it can attract and retain the best talent, regardless of gender, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation.
Companies in the food-and-drink industry know that they are operating in a really competitive market for talent, and many are implementing D&I strategies to ensure that the industry is viewed as an attractive and progressive place for women to develop careers.
Why was it important to work with Origin Green to develop this guidance document?
We know that there are many companies that are diverse and inclusive, but may not have a structured plan in place, while others may be at the very early stage of just thinking about D&I.
The guidance document provides the guide rails for those companies, allowing them to put structure on what they are doing, and to provide practical support for those starting.
What are the challenges to implementing Diversity & Inclusion?
In some respects, companies just need to start their plan, seek help, and be prepared not to get it all right the first time. Companies really need to look at their data in terms of the number of women at the different levels of the organisation, and understand what is preventing more women from progressing to senior positions. Then these issues have to be addressed.
What are the key insights in this Diversity & Inclusion document?
For anyone who is unsure as to why they should have D&I as a business priority, or who may need to convince a colleague or board member of the importance of D&I, there is a great section putting D&I into the context of business growth. The guidance document also provides a practical, stepby-step process to developing the plan.
DOWNLOAD
● Search ‘Origin Green Pathways to Developing a D&I Strategy’ WEBINAR
● Search ‘Origin Green Diversity and Inclusion Webinar Vimeo’