Grass-fed beef: what does a PGI mean?

The move by Bord Bia to make a protected geographical indication (PGI) application for grass-fed Irish beef has opened a debate on what cattle should be eligible to get covered by the brand.

The inclusion of young bulls is a particular challenge as they are associated with a more intensive, mainly shed-based feeding system before going to the factory.

There is also the wider steer and young bull debate.

Steers are the exception in the EU, being confined to the grass-growing regions of Ireland, the UK and western France, with male cattle finished as young bulls in the rest of Europe.

Also, factories tend to blow and hot and cold with young bulls and they are always get the first and biggest hit in any weakening market.

There is also the issue that steer beef doesn’t get a sufficient premium in the factories to offset the loss of performance relative to a young bull. Could a PGI be the basis for creating such a premium?

PGIs in Ireland

PGIs aren’t particularly common in Ireland, though there are a number of products such as Connemara lamb, Waterford Blaa and Sneem black pudding. In the north, Armagh Bramley apples and Comber early potatoes have PGI status.

Currently there are no PGIs for beef, though both Welsh beef and lamb, as well as Scotch beef and lamb, have PGIs for over a decade. In England, a number of southwestern counties succeeded in an application for West Country beef and lamb in 2014.

What is a PGI?

A PGIs is an EU designation of a food, agricultural product or wine that emphasises the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where the quality, reputation or other characteristic is linked to its geographical origin.

Therefore, the blaa is a bread very much linked with Waterford, Armagh is known as the orchard county for apples and Comber early potatoes are very much associated with the area around Comber in Co Down.

There isn’t any specific attribute that ensures a successful PGI application. It is all about making a persuasive case that an area or region gives a product uniqueness.

PGIs are a much bigger issue in mainland Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean states where they are common across all foodstuffs and wines. They are considered the intellectual property of regional food specialities and are often one of the most difficult issues to resolve in EU trade negotiations.

Other categories

While PGIs are the most common regional identifiers within the EU, there are other categories.

Product of Designated Origin (PDO) has a stricter interpretation than PGI as they have to have the entire process attributed to a specific area whereas PGIs require just one part of the process to take place in a specific area.

Examples of PDOs are Orkney beef, which has to spend its entire life on the Orkney Islands of the coast of Scotland and be processed there. It is the same with Lough Neagh pollan in Northern Ireland, where the fish are caught in Lough Neagh and processed in the vicinity of the lough.

Dairygold’s specialty cheese facility in Mogeely, Co Cork, produces Imokilly Regato, which has a PDO designation and is a cheese made from milk produced in the area.

Another category of food speciality is for Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG). In this case it is the product, not the region or area that is the focus, with “the traditional aspects such as the way the product is made or its composition”, being the issue.

Best fit for Ireland

Although Scotland and Wales were successful with PGI applications, the EU does not accept applications on the basis of nationality.

Also, Scotland and Wales are, strictly speaking, areas or regions of the UK and the application process was more tolerant in 2003/2004 when they had their applications approved.

The future of UK PGIs is another issue that is unclear beyond the end of this year because of Brexit.

Making the criteria grade-based means eligibility is extended to all cattle irrespective whether from the beef or dairy herd

By focusing on the grass-based production system, Bord Bia will be hoping that coverage of the entire country won’t be an issue.

It is understood that Bord Bia is restricting grades to O- prime cattle and only beef-bred cows grading O+ or better, and, if young bulls were included, it would mean a large part of the slaughter herd would be covered.

Making the criteria grade-based means eligibility is extended to all cattle irrespective whether from the beef or dairy herd.

Is it worth it?

Securing a PGI / PDO or TSG designation will require Bord Bia to produce a well thought-out application that meets the criteria and tells a good story but it is achievable.

However, securing the designation isn’t in itself a guarantee of more money. Rather, it is an accreditation that provides the basis for building a brand and once secured cannot be copied.

Scotch beef has a PGI accreditation and is usually the highest-priced beef in the UK, whereas West Country beef and lamb are more closely aligned with general English beef prices.

Connemara lamb has had a PGI for 16 years and the lambs from the Connemara region are processed by Jennings in Ballinrobe for Dunnes.

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