Ireland has an international reputation for producing safe, sustainable food of the highest quality. Irish agriculture is integral to the food sector which works closely with farmers to produce fresh products for local and international markets. Ireland exports the majority of their agricultural products to 180 countries worldwide, with South East Asia a growing market place. Exports of food, drink and horticulture products are worth €16 billion annually to the economy.

As Ireland’s fastest growing manufacturing sector it supports thousands of jobs in agriculture, horticulture, fishing, food, dairy, meat and poultry production, distribution, logistics, tourism and hospitality.

Bord Bia are responsible for marketing and promoting Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture products globally. Ninety percent of Ireland’s exports come from Bord Bia’s Origin Green companies which adhere to their food and drink sustainability programme. This programme is the only one of its kind in the world that operates nationally. The high standards of food safety and traceability of products from farm to fork are a key feature of this thriving sector.

Over forty percent of exports come from dairy products such as butter, casein, cheese, yoghurt, whole milk powder & specialist nutritional powders. Infant formula nutrition alone accounts for €800 million in exports.

As well as dairy products Ireland has a valuable meat and livestock industry producing beef, poultry, sheep and pig meat with the main export markets being UK and the EU. A growing area of the market is in prepared consumer goods such as pre prepared meats, soups, cereal products and breads.

There are over fifteen thousand food enterprises based in Ireland. These range from small independent enterprises and producers to large multinationals trading internationally such as Danone, Dawn Meats, Fyffes Bananas, Glanbia, Greencore and Kerry Foods to name but a few. As a result, there are a diverse range of careers and working environments open to you in the Food Sector, all offering excellent career prospects.

You could work in a laboratory carrying out scientific research and developing new products, as a nutritional advisor to a food company, in a retail outlet such as a bakery or a farmers market, on a fishing vessel or fish farm, in a factory or manufacturing plant, preparing, producing and packaging food, horticulture, meat and seafood products, in a warehouse planning the logistics and distribution of your products to the marketplace, as a waiter, chef or food and beverage manager in the tourism/ hospitality sector or in a business/marketing role in a commercial setting. Some careers will require you to travel and there are great opportunities in international sales or marketing promoting Irish products overseas.