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CONSUMERS HOLD THE KEY TO FUTURE OF HOME-PRODUCED FOOD Ref:
Tuesday 19th February 2008 Supermarkets and producers join forces to ask: Is Good Food in Your Nature?
A home-grown campaign to capture the hearts of Northern Ireland food shoppers has been endorsed by the major supermarkets and local retailers. It will have far-reaching impacts on the environment, on the health of the nation and on producers, says the body behind the most significant scheme for decades in the food industry.
The campaign, whose slogan is: 'Good Food is in Our Nature', has been created by Food Promotion Northern Ireland (FPNI), a powerful new alliance which includes top level representatives from the retail industry including Asda, Food Force, Musgrave, Sainsbury and Tesco as well as producers and organisations including Moypark, UFU, Livestock and Meat Commission, Dairy Council, Pork & Bacon Forum and Organics.
Chaired by UFU chief executive, Clarke Black, the group says the campaign which is backed by a £400,000 television ad campaign starting this week, is intended to highlight the passion that the local industry here puts into producing world class food and to provide food shoppers with a clear means which identifies the product as home-grown.
“The Northern Ireland 'Good Food Is In Our Nature' campaign is a major opportunity for local consumers to reconnect with local food and to buy local because they recognise the high quality, and environmental benefits that local producers put into food from Northern Ireland”, says Mr Black.
“The ad campaign, which is being reinforced through retail channels is also a reflection of the entire industry working in a co-ordinated way under one theme to reach out to consumers and say the time is right to have pride in the quality of our local food”, says Mr Black.
Participation in the campaign is open to all eligible food and drink producers in Northern Ireland who use local ingredients where at all possible.
The Northern Ireland - Good Food Is In Our Nature campaign has already attracted more than 50 eligible producers including cheese, meat, poultry and produce firms. FPNI says the number of producers joining the scheme is expected to double within the next six months.
“This is much more than a charm offensive,” says Chief Executive Michele Shirlow “It is a scheme which performs as a strong marketing tool aimed directly at the consumer but as well as this it is the first time there has been a co-ordinated way for consumers to connect confidently with our excellent local producers which is jointly endorsed by the major supermarkets,” says Michele.
“I am confident that consumers are keen to buy locally produced food for reasons of health and environment and our job is to tell them how safe and traceable Northern Ireland food is, how fresher it is and how little it has had to travel before we and our families enjoy it,” says Michele. “This campaign will help consumers identify those goods.”
Ends
Media contact:
Joris Minne or Kathryn Kirk, JPR, tel: 028 9076 0066 or e-mail kathryn.kirk@jprni.com
EDITORS' NOTES:
- Food Promotion Northern Ireland is a private sector initiative which aims to establish Northern Ireland as a region, recognized both nationally and internationally, for the quality and provenance of its food and drink and its responsiveness to the markets in which that food and drink is sold.
- The Northern Ireland –Good Food is in our Nature Campaign will be delivered both locally – to consumers and internationally - through Trade Promotion
- Businesses supporting the campaign pledge to use local ingredients where at all possible.
- The annual local food production industry in NI is worth £2.5 Billion
- The agri-food industry employs over 66,000 people (35,500 full time and 31,000 Part time)
- Producers signed up to the scheme include: Doherty & Gray beef producers, Ballyrashane mile and butter, Fivemiletown cheese, Lean and Easy lamb, Glastry Farm ice-cream and Mash Direct.
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