The agri food industry in NI needs to focus its marketing efforts on environmental sustainability and human health, according to Food NI chief executive Michele Shirlow.

Speaking on a webinar on Tuesday, Shirlow suggested that increasing output from the sector, which was the focus of the former Agri Food Strategy Board’s “Going for Growth” plan, was no longer a viable strategy.

“In the past, an awful lot of the agenda was about making it bigger. I think we need to think differently. We need to think about making it better,” she said.

“We are in a new decade and we need to link health and sustainability as well as the economic side,” Shirlow maintained.

Her thoughts were largely mirrored by Joy Alexander from DAERA, who is currently developing the department’s new long-term strategy for the local agri food industry.

“I fully acknowledge that there has been a number of food strategies in the past, but there is a difference with this one,” she maintained.

“What we are trying to do here is align government departments. We are trying to connect health, environment and education aspects, as well as the economic piece, which is obviously huge,” Alexander said.