The area of land in organic production in Ireland is still very small, but constantly growing and the organic sector development is being boosted through various initiatives. On the occasion of the National Organic Week in September, Irland's National Organic Awards are handed out.

There is currently 49,550 ha of land certified as organic in Ireland (IOFGA), about 1.25 % of the total Irish agricultural land. More than 1600 farms are working according to organic guidelines, of which 1,150 are certified by the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association.

Recognised as an important feature in the organic food and drink industry calendar, the 4th edition of the Ireland's National Organic Awards will take place in September 2010. These are organised by Bord Bia in conjunction with Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and are are open to all Irish organic producers: in the past year they attracted over 140 entries from Irish organic companies.
According to Maeve Desmond, International Communications Manager at Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, the awards aim to raise the profile of Irish organic food and drink manufacturers and recognise the achievements.

Strong sales performance of Irish organic sector in 2008
2008 was a special, positive year for the profile of organic food in Ireland and this is reflected by strong sales performance to the end of the year. Bord Bia / TNS research in August 2008 valued the organic market in Ireland at over 104 million euros, a jump of 82% from 2006. The report also showed that an increasing number of people had started buying organic products on a more regular basis.

September 2008 was a busy month for organic activity on the Irish market, starting with Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hosting an organic conference in Waterford themed "Maximising Ireland’s Potential". The conference was attended by over 150 delegates and was addressed by Mr. Trevor Sargent (Green Party), Minister for Food and Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until February 2010. Organic week in mid-September saw the launch of a new consumer message "Organic – Good for Nature, Good for You". Bord Bia supported the week with a national campaign using outdoor media, press and radio. Additionally, there were 42 local events supporting organic week across 18 counties.

Forás Orgánach, the body to boost organic development
To drive forward the development of the organic sector in Ireland, in August 2009, Trevor Sargent established the new body Forás Orgánach. Forás is the Irish word for growth, development and progress. Forás Orgánach replaces the National Steering Group for the Organic Sector. However, the new group has a different emphasis. Whereas the National Steering Group brought nominees from various stakeholder groups together to agree a programme of action, Forás Orgánach is made up of individuals with expertise in particular areas who can bring their talents and specialist knowledge to efforts to develop the organic sector further.

"The National Steering Group was an excellent forum for the various stakeholders to share their perspectives on the organic sector, and their biggest achievement was to produce the Organic Farming Action Plan 2008-12 which I described when I launched it as the single most important initiative in driving the organic sector forward in Ireland. It is vital that we do not lose momentum as we work towards the target that was set for the organic sector in the Programme for Government. The members of Forás Orgánach have been selected for what they, as individuals, can bring to this task," Mr Sargent stated. He resigned as minister in February 2010.

Ireland has great potential in the organic sector, Mr Sargent explained at Biofach 2010: organic salmon producers, for example, have a vibrant and growing export business to Germany worth 20 million euros. He also saw potential for development in the area of beef. Irish retail demand for organic produce had been on the rise as well. If Irish farming and food production was to maximise its potential, more producers were needed to become certified as organic.

The Government targets to reach 5% by 2012.

Source: Organic-Market.info