The European Meat Forum, organised by the Irish food board, Bord Bia, grouped together industry professionals from across Europe, including some 165 meat buyers from the major retail chains with a combined beef buying power of more than €4 billion.
On the agenda were a number of key issues, including new strategies being adopted by the major European retail chains, changing consumer trends and behaviour and new developments in packaging and technology.
Ireland is an appropriate venue for any meeting of beef industry professionals, being the largest net beef exporter in the northern hemisphere with exports of almost €1.3 billion in 2003. Over 85 per cent of the 500,000 tonnes of Irish beef exported annually goes to the UK and mainland European countries.
Beef consumption is now rising in most major European markets after years of depressed sales caused by the 'mad cow' scare and foot and mouth disease. Indeed, excluding Ireland, European beef consumption now exceeds European beef production by almost a million tonnes annually, according to Bord Bia's figures, highlighting the opportunity for European producers - but also underlining the potential threat from other beef exporters, notably those in the southern hemisphere such as Argentina.
For Ireland, this European beef deficit has allowed the beef industry to focus on high-end European retail and foodservice business. Almost 60 per cent of Irish beef production comes from dedicated beef herds - the highest proportion of any European beef producer - putting Irish beef in a strong position to play this quality card.
Bord Bia is working in partnership with major retailers to promote high-quality, grass-fed Irish beef to consumers in the UK and mainland Europe, in turn creating an image of Irish beef as a premium product with European consumers. In his address to the Forum, Irish Farm Minister Joe Walsh pointed out that it was the tough labelling and traceability system for beef introduced by the EU as a result of the BSE crisis which was primarily responsible for the increased European beef consumption since 2000.
"In my view this became an essential tool in restoring consumer confidence and reviving beef consumption in the EU," he said. After a period of chronic surpluses, the European beef market is now in deficit for the first time in 25 years. "The emergence of the deficit comes at an opportune time for the Irish beef industry as it seeks to reposition some €200 million of its exports from the UK to Continental EU markets within the next two years," said Aidan Cotter, operations director at Bord Bia.
Cotter expressed confidence that the Irish industry would be successful in building new and profitable business in Europe: "The industry has a long track record in meeting the most demanding specifications of its customers in a diverse range of markets. Also, blind taste tests have confirmed that Irish beef is second to none in eating quality, the most important attribute sought by consumers when buying beef today."