Organic Rope Mussels from Ireland

The Kerry-based Kush Shellfish company has recently became the first company in Britain or Ireland to market certified organic mussels.

(Photo by sedoglia )

�We researched the possibility of offering organic rope mussels and we successfully got organic status in June 2009 �according to Managing Director John Harrington.

They are also the first operators to be certified organic by Global Trust in Ireland, who were approved as an Organic Certifier earlier in the year.

Harrington continued: �We are hoping to sell directly into retail outlets at the top end of the organic market and into foodservice distributors at the top end.�

Their new organic rope mussels are marketed as both convenient and sustainable, as well as having been grown in safe, clean waters off the south west coast of Ireland.

This is especially important because Mussels are filter feeders: in other words, the cleaner the water the cleaner the product.

Harrington pointed out that, for the Kenmare-based company, differentiation is key, when compared to competitors who have economies of scale on their side: �We have a low carbon footprint � versus Chilean mussels we are ten times lower.�

With organic certification, a verifiable clean product, and a lower carbon footprint, Kush Shellfish have three distinct strands of differentiation.

These mussels are produced in a protected area (a Special Area of Conservation), which prevents many of the pollution-related issues other companies have from emerging.

Growth has been significant and strong in the organic seafood sector in general. According to BIM, in 2007, Ireland produced 10,000 tonnes of farmed salmon of which some 70% was certified organic: these fish fetched a price premium 40% above the regular market price.

Along with Kush Shellfish, Bord Bia also coordinated a number of Irish Sea Food Companies' attendance at the world's largest organic food fair, BioFach, which was held in Germany earlier this year.

Seafood has traditionally been the poor relation of the agri-food sector in Ireland. And yet, it employs over 11,000 generates over E730 million in sales, and accounts for almost 10%of total seafood sales within the EU. � of Irish sales are within the EU, primarily to the French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch markets.

However within the seafood sector, organic has begun to dominate.

According to Bord Bia: �Irish organic salmon sales have been positive in Europe and Ireland has a leading reputation. Many positive reviews have been received by the sector for the quality and consistency of its raw material.�

They go on: �Ireland's leading position in the organic salmon market is of key importance as the organic salmon market tripled in 2008 and organics are enjoying a boom in popularity in France.

�Salmon retail sales figures in France for the first 6 months of 2009 showed Ireland to be the fastest growing origin with 31.6% increase in volume sales compared to the same period in 2008. Last year France imported 3500 tonnes of Irish salmon to the value of �18million.�

Fish product exports are back slightly across the board, yet estimates continue to predict an increase in tonnage of Irish organic farmed salmon:

Recent projections have suggested that up to 5000 extra tonnes of organic salmon could be produced in Ireland, which would lead to the creation of about 300 jobs.

According to Donal Buckley, BIM�s Market Development Manager, Irish organic seafood, and specifically organic salmon, is well placed to survive the current market challenges:

�Ireland was responsible for pioneering organic salmon...the product is now highly sought after in Europe due to its superior quality.�

He goes on �in the current economic climate and with ever-increasing price competitiveness in the global salmon market, the Irish organic offering is a profitable and economically viable niche for quality-focused Irish producers�.

The sea food sector has managed to play to its strengths, and to develop multiple and complementary differentiation strategies based on producing a clean green product. Is there a lesson in this for the rest of the agri-food sector?