Tara Mulvany

I'm a meat and two veg girl. But more specifically, I'm an Irish meat and two veg girl. I simply love the food we produce here on this island. I love the taste, the freshness, the quality and the fact that everything I eat can be traced back to an individual farm and farmer.

I've been to the gastronomic capitals of the world. I once got a recommendation to go to a steakhouse in Barcelona. I was told that they sold the best steak in the world. I couldn't wait. But my steak turned out to be a sinewy lump of chewy Argentinian beef. On a more satisfying note, I also visited a restaurant in Brussels once with a group of Irish journalists. When he heard our accents, the Chef proudly brought us into his kitchen to show us that he only used Irish beef. 'It's the best in the world', he said. I agree.

It’s not just our beef though. Our milk, cheese, butter, vegetables, oats, bacon and eggs are all valuable commodities, produced to the highest standards and born under the most natural conditions on the Irish farm. That's why I wasn't surprised to see Bord Bia recently report that small food businesses in Ireland continue to demonstrate strong growth both on the domestic and export markets. Irish food and drink was a major contributor to the economy’s strong export performance in 2010 and confidence remains high in the sector, despite the economic and political turbulence. What a great testament to a strong and resilient industry.

That's why campaigns like the NDC’s ‘Support Local Dairy Jobs’ and Bord Bia’s ‘Love Irish food’ are vital in supporting our valuable food commodities. These campaigns give proud Irish food companies the opportunity to promote their ‘Irishness’ and wear it on their packs as a badge of honour. And why not - with the best food producers in the world and the highest standards from farm to fork, it truly is something for which we can be proud.