The organic sector in Ireland – marketing and promotion

Sales of organic food in Ireland reached 124 million euros in the year to July 2009 (Bord Bia). 85 % of certified organic product sales are through mainstream retail outlets, with other channels like the organic supermarket, online shops, small stores, health food stores, farmers' markets, box schemes and farm shops accounting for the remaining 15 %. All the major supermarkets offer some organics. SuperValu/Centra and Tesco Ireland, for example, have a complete range of fresh and frozen organic products. Absolutely Organic operates as a wholesaler and also delivers organic products to end customers.

The Irish organic retail market was estimated to be worth 104 milllion euros in 2008, 66 million euros in 2006, and 38 million in 2003. Up to 75 % in some categories of organic food sold in Ireland, particularly fruit and vegetables, are imported, despite the fact that much of this food could be produced in Ireland. Meat processors, for example, have repeatedly called for more production of lamb and especially beef to meet the growing demand in export markets in the UK and Germany. Production of vegetables ought to be increased as well. The Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) is involved in promoting organic food and farming through its work with the media in the form of press releases and similar initiatives. Farmers markets are local events with some organic stalls and this helps the organic sector to make its products even better known.

Bord Bia is not only involved in the Organic Week and the National Organic Awards (we reported earlier) but also takes part in BioFach. This year, Bord Bia went to BioFach with 14 companies: Ballybrado Organic Food (cookies, baking mixes, oat flakes, flours), Burren Smokehouse (salmon), Good Herdsmen (meat), Irish Seaspray (seafood), Kenmare Select (salmon), Kush Shellfish (mussels and oysters), Marigot T/A Celtic Sea Minerals, Mossfield Organic Farm (cheese), Murphy's Irish Seafood, Organic Herb Co., Ltd. (herbs, spices, oils), Solaris Tea, St Tola Organic Goats Cheese, and The Organic Salmon. Virginia Harvest mills flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumkin seeds, berries and protein powders. 

Absolutely Organic is located in Dublin, certified by IOFGA and guarantees that the products it sells are not airfreighted. The business was launched in 1997 and back then it was one of the early pioneers in certified organic box delivery. The company has in the mean time grown to become an online shop with a wide range of boxes and many other items. All the food lines are certified organic, and a few lines of non-food products have been added recently, which are either organic or have to meet strictest ecological standards.

A wide range of products is available – fruit boxes, juice boxes, mixed fruit and vegetables boxes, and straight vegetable boxes. Fruit, vegetables and juice portions offer total flexibility, so one can order from a wide range of organic vegetables or fruit portions to create a perfect mix of organic produce. With the boxes comes an A4 leaflet containing news and recipes to make sure that customers are up-to-date with information and get new ideas about how to use their products. Hampers, gifts and vouchers are also available, as well as „office fruits“ – which means for the company  „organic fruits for important clients and employees“. This box contains easy-to-eat fruit like apples, bananas, pears and kiwis. They are especially popular for use at a company's reception or in the canteen. 

Altogether about 700 lines are sold, ranging from baby products, bakery products, biscuits, bread, canned foods, cereals, cheese, chicken, cleaning products, coffee, condiments, dressings and sauces, dried products, eggs, honey, preserves, juices, meats, milk, vinegars and oils, pasta and pasta sauces, pulses, rice, rice and soy drink, salmon, seeds, skin care and hygiene, snacks, spices, spreads and tea to wines. Deliveries are sent to several hundred customers each week. They are informed and interested customers, and mostly have gone organic for health reasons. Absolutely Organic does not only supply families with young children but also individuals and offices. Operating as a wholesaler, the company also supplies shops nationwide - smaller independent, specialist shops - and some of the better supermarkets. This (including office fruits) comprises about 30 % their business. Fresh fruit and vegetable are of particular interest. According to John Healy, Absolutely Organic is optimistic about the future, despite the current economic difficulties in Ireland and is about to launch the Italian organic brand Alce Nero and also add the Flourish Organic Skin Care (picture: some of Flourish Organic's products) to its range.

The company is proud to offer local products wherever possible. While supermarkets import about 70 % of their fresh produce, Absolutely Organic only imports about 50 %, which is a very low percentage in Ireland. What also makes the shop so unique is the fact that they deliver free of charge. Boxes are supplied in a radius of up to 20 km from Dublin, although this can be extended, and other products are delivered nationwide. The company can proudly look back at more than 12 years of successful business and has just taken over another online shop. 

In an interview, John Healy told Organic-Market.Info that in Ireland, for various reasons, growing organic vegetables only takes place on a small scale. The country concentrates more on dairy and beef, since grass is easier to grow. The season for fruit and vegetables is quite short, and farmers seem to be unwilling to take the risk of growing on a large scale. Absolutely Organic sources as much locally grown organic vegetables as it can and has long term relationships with local organic producers. (Photo: Eastern Ireland seen by the air)

These are popular items like cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, and beetroot. A few organic producers also plant lettuce, green leaves, tomatoes and spinach, and a small number try cauliflower and broccoli. According to John, it is very important that domestic production is increased. Consumers are increasingly in a position to make informed and healthy choices, and this starts as early as in primary schools where children are taught about food. There is a growing number of schools with a school garden, and some are even organic. But there are simply not enough local organic products available, which leads to rising imports. Artisan food production is, however, on the increase. (Photo: Sheep in Ireland)
 

The Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS) has launched its first ever Rude Health Week this year to encourage ongoing good health habits throughout the country all year round. A Rude Health Show is held at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) exhibition centre each September, but the organisers promoted Rude Health Week in all IAHS stores across Ireland from Monday February 15th to Saturday 20th, 2010 as well. "Many of our members have found from customer feedback that people would like a boost between our very popular annual Rude Health shows in the RDS. We felt that a Rude Health Week in early spring would be a good time to highlight the need for people to look after themselves as naturally as possible all year round", says Kevin Connolly from the Irish Association of Health Stores. (Picture: Healthwise in Galway, member of IAHS)

Members of the IAHS represent Ireland's leading health stores and their Code of Ethics ensures their staff are trained to offer professional guidance and advice on healthy diets, natural remedies, eco-friendly alternatives to standard detergents and skincare, and much more besides. Rude Health Week gave customers the opportunity to avail themselves of special offers, free talks and lots more to celebrate Ireland's independent health stores. The IAHS is the voice of the modern health store and its member stores are located nationwide and are considered to be experts in Ireland for natural healthcare. 
 

The next Rude Health event at the RDS will take place in Dublin on 11-12 September 2010.  200 plus exhibitors at previous Rude Health shows, coming from all over Ireland and the UK, will promote an exciting range of products to enhance health. As well as enjoying the expertise of top speakers at Rude Health, one can also visit  exhibitors’ stands and enjoy tastings, cookery demos, and get free advice from qualified therapists on herbs, homeopathy  and vitamins. The show features sports and fitness, therapies, environment, food (organic, natural, free-from and special diet), how-tos and inspiration, remedies and skin care (organic,sensitive, hypoallergenic). 

Evergreen Health Foods (pictures) opened their first store in Galway in 1992, located in Mainguard Street in the heart of the town. In 1994, the second store, which is now one of the largest health food stores in Ireland, was opened in the Galway Shopping Centre. In 1999, the third store was launched in the Westside Shopping Centre. It was refurbished and expanded in 2003. Also in 2003, the Barna store was opened to provide a service to customers in this Galway suburb and to customers from Knocknacarra, Furbo and Spiddal and passing trade from people visiting Connemara. The chain’s latest addition was the opening of the Moycullen branch in 2005.
 

The company built up a reputation for having a wide selection of top-name brands in the health food industry, and it also sells a wide range of specialised foods, some of which are exclusively available in Galway and the West of Ireland. The company's website has been online since 2001. Feedback from customers has suggested that there is a need to provide Evergreen’s products to customers on a nationwide basis. This was the reason for the launch of the Evergreen e-commerce enabled website in 2008. A broad range of products is available like vitamins and herbs, weight management and detox, natural skincare and bodycare, food, products for mother and baby and for children's health, eco-friendly household detergents, books, sports nutrition, gifts and vouchers. Evergreen also sends out a free newsletter which keeps people informed about health issues and makes them aware of any special offers given exclusively to online customers.

Evergreen also took part in the Rude Health Week with all five stores. The promotion included food tastings, cookery demonstrations, massage treatments and make-up applications. Special offers were also available and in selected stores there was an opportunity for one-to-one-customer consultation with industry representatives. In May this year, Evergreen Health Foods presented Marilyn Glenville, PhD, for a series of public talks based on her best selling books. Topics included Natural Alternatives to HRT and How to Prevent Osteoporosis as well as Natural Solutions to Infertility – Getting Pregnant Faster. Also in May, the company launched their new „Power Search“ feature for their website to ease the search in their range of currently 1,200 products – a range they are planning to expand.