Press release

Minister Hackett welcomes National Organic Food Fair

From: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on: 29 August 2024
Last updated on: 12 April 2025

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, has welcomed the holding of a national organic food fair this weekend in Merrion Square, Dublin.

“I am delighted to see the National Organic Food Fair take place over two days in Merrion Square this weekend. This is one of the many initiatives funded under my Department’s call last year for projects to promote the very best of our Irish organic sector.

The Fair will showcase the thriving organic sector across a broad and diverse range of exhibition stands, with plenty of fun and activities for families. Recognition of organic produce as an environmentally friendly consumer option continues to grow, and I am delighted to see my Department working in collaboration with Organic Trust and other industry stakeholders to respond to the increased interest in the sector.”

Merrion Square will be host to an array of Irish culinary talents on 31st August and 1st September. Clodagh McKenna will be joined by Fused by Fiona, Marc Michel, and many more, for a series of live cooking demonstrations using only organic produce. The fair is open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September. Tickets are €5 per adult, with up to two children under 12 years free of charge, and are available from Eventbrite. All demonstrations are available on a first come, first seated basis.

There will be a fantastic range of exhibitors, including household names like Flahavans, Begleys, Glenisk and many more, as well as food vendors including Good Herdsman and Irish Country Meats.

Speaking at the launch of the Food Fair, Organic Trust CEO, Stephen Connolly, said,

“As the organic sector continues to grow, we felt that now is the right time to showcase the best that organics has to offer to the Irish public. We are bringing together certified organic exhibitors from all around Ireland. These are the people who grow and process your food, and the ones who ensure that anything you put on your table with an organic symbol has been produced to the highest standard.”

The National Organic Food Fair, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and Bord Bia, will showcase:

• Ireland’s biggest artisan organic food market

• Displays, sampling and sales of organic food

• Cooking demonstrations by renowned Irish celebrity chefs, using only organic produce

• Educational demonstrations on organic food production

Minister Hackett concluded:

"The success of the dedicated Organic Village at the Ploughing Championships in 2022 and 2023 demonstrates the demand for events that promote Irish organic food, and this National Organic Food Fair will resonate with farmers, industry, and consumers alike. I wish every success to all the exhibitors in this exciting addition to the organic calendar for 2024, and I look forward to visiting.”

Notes for editors

Tickets are available at National Organic Food Fair

Ireland's Programme for Government has set a target of more than tripling the organic land area by 2027 to approximately 336,000 hectares. This target has been incorporated into Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan, and Food Vision 2030. Our Climate Action Plan has a target of 10% by 2030.

The aim is to reach this target by supporting farmers to convert to organic farming through the Organic Farming Scheme, enhanced advisory support and increased promotion as well as developing market demand.

The Organic Farming Scheme is an agri-environment measure under the Department's CAP Strategic Plan which is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the EU. For more information, visit www.gov.ie/cap.

In July 2023, Minister Hackett announced a public call by her department for innovative proposals to promote the multi-functional benefits of organic farming in Ireland. The list of successful Applicants is set out below:

Company	Application
ACA Tipperary	This project will support and expand the ability of private agricultural advisors to provide relevant advice to organic farmers.
National Organic Training Skillnet	The establishment of an Organic & Biological Living Lab Programme to bring together farmers and researchers to facilitate research and co-ordinate knowledge sharing. The core aspect of the programme is the establishment of Living Labs on organic farms identified within the NOTS network.
National Organic Training Skillnet	The creation of a substantive library of instructional videos covering all aspects of conversion to organic farming. Aligning with the Organic Farming Principles course, these videos will provide insights into the individual sectors of organic agriculture as well as broad topics with regard to helping farmers transition to organic practices.
National Organic Training Skillnet	This project provides for the purchase of trial equipment to be used in practical organic training programmes for small-scale dairy production. Essential training equipment is currently unavailable in Ireland for key areas such as cheesemaking, yoghurt production, butter production, and ice cream production. This project aims to rectify this situation by creating a dedicated small-scale dairy processing training unit.
Irish Organic Association	The campaign will showcase all relevant sectors including, beef, sheep, dairy, cereals and pulses, horticulture, poultry/eggs and aquaculture. The campaign will be driven by experiential and immersive films and other high-quality visual content that is evidence-based. It will seek to capture what Irish organic operators can deliver, from high-quality produce, increasing environmental protection to enhancing animal welfare, whilst complying with EU marketing standards and relevant EU legislation. A social media campaign and engagement strategy will be created and implemented for Meta platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), TikTok and Youtube, with insights and analytic reporting conducted to measure the awareness of the ‘This is Irish Organic […]’ campaign amongst Irish consumers.
Irish Organic Milk Producers Ltd Waterford	A pilot project will investigate the use of Organic Milk to make both Organic Butter and Organic Skimmed Milk Powder. There will be many new Organic Milk producers in the next 2/3 years entering the industry and a solution is needed to utilise their milk into saleable products for the domestic and export markets.
Organic Growers of Ireland	The OGI’s mission is to represent, support, grow and educate the growers that contribute to the Irish organic horticultural sector. This is achieved through the delivery of the Organic growers internship and Future growers conference each year alongside the development of the member network that offers farm walks, focus sessions and networking opportunities to organic growers throughout Ireland. This project will continue and expand the work of the OGI.
Dr. Jack Fahey	This study aims to investigate the potential benefits of employing living mulches in organic tillage practices. By comparing the growth, weed suppression, soil health, and crop yield of living mulch systems to traditional methods, we seek to determine the viability and sustainability of integrating living mulches into organic farming systems in Ireland.
Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Op Society Ltd	This project will develop a business plan examining the possibilities for a newly formed, farmer owned organic dairy co-op in Ireland. This work will include an examination of processing opportunities and feasibility assessment of same, a look at strategic partnership options for the co-op and also an assessment of how the co-op could use its leverage to improve farmer incomes and make conversion to organic dairy a more attractive prospect.
Limerick Community Grocery CLG aka The Urban Co-Op	Market research on school-based procurement options with creation of relatable visual promotional materials and a range of ready to eat organic meals to test the market.
Irish Agroforestry Forum	The "Cultivating Agricultural Resilience through Organic Farming with Trees" project is a comprehensive initiative promoting organic farming practices and resilience in agriculture. It aims to raise awareness about sustainable practices, healthy food, and the environment and includes farmer-led trials, farm walk tours, and farmer meet-ups showcasing the benefits of trees for organic farming. An 'Organic Farming with Trees' educational programme for farmers and schools with instructional materials and videos. The project also offers a "Farm Fresh to School Organic Vegetables" schools pilot programme, highlighting organic produce.
Organic Trust	To organize, promote and run a National Organic Food Fair. The Organic Food fair will include: •Collaborating with organic food traders, producers and retailers to showcase the array of Organic produce on offer in this country amid a festival atmosphere and a great day out for the family. •Selected producers and industry leaders will give practical seminars, with tastings; discussion on what their products route to market was like; Discussing why organic food is important to the Irish consumer; How to eat organically and within budget, and on how to grow your own organics. •Celebrity chef demonstrations. 4 to 5 Irish celebrity chefs providing cooking demonstrations throughout the day as well as an “Organic cook off” in the main tent where the 4 chefs will be pitted against each other to create the best organic dish using only locally produced organic ingredients.

Minister Hackett welcomes National Organic Food Fair

Notes for editors

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