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THE IRISH FOOD board wants to know how to “win back” vegetarians and vegans as the number of consumers opting for plant-based foods continues to rise.
Bord Bia recently issued a tender for a firm to provide consumer insight on “foodisms” such as vegetarianism, veganism and flexitarianism.
In the tender document, the State-backed agency said that it is looking to find out more about these consumers, researching the motivations that are driving people to change their diets.
With this information, it plans to figure out how the Irish food and drink sector should respond to the “challenges and opportunities that are presented by this shift”.
In particular, Bord Bia said that it would like to understand the messaging that Ireland’s meat and dairy industries could use “to win these consumers back or reassure them about their food choices”.
At the same time, however, it is also looking for growth opportunities for Irish plant-based food providers.
Changing diets
Bord Bia said that there has been a “huge shift in the ‘what and why’ of food consumption” in recent years.
It noted that in the past, diets that limited or excluded meat, dairy and eggs were often “viewed as fringe” in Ireland.
However, it said that the situation has undergone a rapid change, driven by younger consumers moving away from animal products, and by celebrities, companies and government agencies promoting plant-based alternatives.
Bord Bia estimates that 8% of the Irish population are now vegetarian, while 2% are vegan.
However, an increasing number are ‘flexitarian’, meaning that they limit the amount of meat or dairy products in their diet.
According to the National Dairy Council (NDC), 41% of Irish women and 30% of Irish men are now avoiding or limiting their dairy consumption, with one in 10 believing that cow’s milk is unhealthy.
In response, the NDC launched a controversial marketing campaign last year to encourage young people to consume dairy. It has blamed social media ‘influencers’ for spreading negative messages about its products.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland received over 100 complaints about the campaign, which was criticised for its use of the phrase ‘plant-based’ in relation to dairy milk.
Future proofing
With its proposed research, Bord Bia is hoping to “future-proof” the Irish food sector, helping it adapt to changes in consumption by getting clarity on the motivations and attitudes of consumers.
“It is imperative that the Irish food and drink industry is informed by consumer insight in this area so that it can provide relevant and compelling propositions within both the area of plant-based and meat and dairy nutrition,” it said.
The organisation plans to research five “key markets of interest” – the US, UK, Sweden, Germany and Ireland – as these countries have a higher incidence and growth rate of vegetarianism, veganism and flexitarianism.
It is looking to conduct a cross-country study into consumers following these diets to get a better understanding of who they are, how long they have been following their diet and how committed are they are to their food choices.
Written by Sarah Harford and posted on Fora.ie
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I remember the irish media had me giving every white haired man the beady eye before he was caught
i watched a programme on him and his gang! whitey killed anyone who he suspected on being an informer, he always preached about loyalty! He was himself an informer for the FBI.
Seems like a nice old guy. Can’t imagine him doing anything he’s being accused of.
Champion & Hero
@ lump
If your into the sort of person who imports drugs , sells them , kills people, intimidates , extorts business owners and is giving the heads up by the FBI I can understand how he is a hero to you
coming from a person who spent considerable years in the states he is a embarrassment to the Irish community just ask anyone in the wood side/sunny side end of queens NY they will tell you he is a w****r
Pleading the 5th
He was a FBI rat I wonder if they told him keep that shut
Correction by fagan
You actually have to take the stand before you plead the 5 th
All else I said I stand by
The FBI claimed he was a rat. Very easy to do and he on the run. They made it up
@ Liam
Ffs son the dogs in the street knows the connection between him& the Feds
After all the defence witnesses were slammed by the prosecution last week.
Ah woodside, is Sean Og’s still there.
@ James
Home 10 years now couldn’t tell ya
To be honest all I can remember is the 7 train lol
@ James
Do remember 5 am going for a fry in the stop in down from dillons pub before the block burned down
Had the Morrison but jaysus we built that city in our droves during the 90′s
Awful headline, he doesn’t have to testify, that’s absolutely his right under American law, and it can’t be used against him.
Obviously juries do hold it against the accused, and the media tend to do the same, as they have done nothing this case.
It’s not an awful headline, what the hell are you on about you plank, everyone knows you don’t have to take the stand when you are an accused, that’s not just confined to American law.. It’s a valid headline given what bugler is accused of so don’t let on you know more about law than other folk cause you haven’t a clue
Embarrassment to the Irish ! Our politicians do that for us, we don’t need a yank to do it for us.
Moral dilemma; he cannot accept to be seen as a rat, yet he misses out on immunity!
Probably important to point out the Jeremiah O’Sullivan was not just any US Attorney – but the US Attorney General & Head of Strikeforce
Got what he deserves. Sk**.
I have had an opportunity living there and meeting allot of folks of his time, South Boston is an amazing place with the shamrock in pride but the silence in Southy was because of this man in a very dangerous times with gangs on every side of it and funny they say the Robin Hood of Southy weird
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