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Ireland is facing into a future where meat consumption is changing, with consumers looking to eat less but better, Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy told the Bord Bia Meat Marketing seminar on Friday morning.
However, she said the Irish meat industry, underpinned by the efforts of primary producers and farmers, is extremely well-placed to deliver on these needs and provide the reassurances and innovative solutions that increasingly discerning consumers look for around transparency, animal welfare, and sustainability.
“Origin Green, our national sustainability programme, remains key to meeting many of these needs, while strengthening our competitive position as a global meat supplier,” she said.
Protein intake
Analysis from Bord Bia, presented at the seminar by Rory McDonnell from Bord Bia’s Thinking House, found that over a fifth of adults worldwide are actively trying to increase their protein intake and the future role of meat will evolve.
By 2040 predicted that a third of all meat consumed will be lab-grown, a stake figure presented by Rory McDonnell from @Bordbia Thinking House. Traditional meat sales to fall by just 3% as demand for meat will grow as global population rises from 7.6bn to 9bn in next 15 years pic.twitter.com/lRiROCRGyY
— FJ Sheep (@FJSheep) January 10, 2020
“Meat continues to have a fundamental role in diets worldwide, now and into the future, even as consumption of lab meats and vegan replacements rises. The nature of this role is changing with consumer expectations around meat greater than ever.
“Meat must be able to satisfy primal needs for nourishment, health, indulgence, reward and convenience. Furthermore, people want to be informed about the meat they purchase and will respond to claims that instill trust and confidence,” McDonnell said.
The research, which examined global meat trends, featured primary research with UK and Irish consumers. The purpose of the study is to support the industry to unlock potential value from the fast changing marketplace.
Future-proofing
Padraig Brennan, director of sectors at Bord Bia, also outlined its commitment to future-proofing the sector.
“At today’s seminar, Bord Bia emphasises the robust plans in place to accelerate the potential of Irish meat exports in new markets while growing share across priority markets. The insights presented today are vital to help understand how our industry can respond to this changing consumer environment.
“Bord Bia will continue to champion the fundamental strengths of our meat industry to create a differentiated position among trade customers and consumers.”
The seminar brought together over 150 representatives from the Irish meat industry at Government, producer, and processor levels, to review the global meat industry in 2019 and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges of 2020 and beyond.
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