CEO Statement
Zoë Kavanagh Chief Executive
Delivering value to our members
Challenging times
In 2020 we worked through the fourth year of the current strategy. We recognise our obligation to deliver excellent value and service to the thousands of farming families who fund us. We are ambitious in our pursuit of securing stronger regard for all that Irish Dairy has to offer – producer excellence and a highly nutritious portfolio of products.
The Covid-19 global pandemic changed the ways of work for most business and the NDC was no different. The agility of the executive team and its broader network was a significant strength which really benefited the Dairy sector.
The NDC undertook a complete review of its Constitution dated 1993 but linking back to 1964 when the NDC was incorporated. The primary objective was to achieve an outcome where the NDC governance is both fit for purpose while ensuring the membership is fairly represented on the Board. The long-term success depends on a strong membership represented by a balanced, inclusive and supported group of Board Directors. There has been a radical shift in how agriculture is viewed in the context of climate change. Irish Dairy’s benefits have been overlooked and underplayed repeatedly. There is an urgent need to re-stage the truths of Irish Dairy at both consumer and policy level in order to achieve “permission to produce” alongside “permission to consume”. Having dairy regarded as a vital component of a sustainable food system is a critical strategic outcome.
Roles and responsibilities come under the microscope when a sector hits a crisis and it is very clear that while organizations work hard to support the supply chain, the NDC focus is always on the consumer. The dairy sector as a whole demonstrated its resilience as we all confronted the pandemic disruption. From an NDC perspective the reputation of the dairy sector alongside supporting its relevant consumption while consumers have been home-based has been our priority. The NDC worked nimbly to re-purpose our core activities to fit with the new crisis – our Schools Programme was revisited for a Home-Schooling audience and we delivered our regional co-op-led Health & Wellbeing evenings as a print series with the Irish Farmers Journal. We were also delighted to commission a new book dedicated to the subject of Milk written by celebrated food writers John and Sally McKenna. The book tells the story of Milk from its early beginnings to the basis of so many products and recipes and was distributed to book shops across Ireland.
Love Irish Dairy 2020 started with a nationwide advertising campaign with outdoor billboards for the NDC “Love Irish Dairy” campaign. Over one hundred sites in total were utilised around Ireland for two weeks in January. The campaign highlighted how in Ireland our green countryside is an incredible asset and provides us with a unique grass-based farming system. This, paired with the expertise and the commitment of individual farmers and their families are vital ingredients in the success of Irish Dairy – here at home and abroad.
From an NDC perspective the reputation of the dairy sector alongside supporting its relevant consumption while consumers have been home-based has been our priority.
The National Dairy Council | Annual Report 2020
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