HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS TO BRING THIS COMMODITY INTO BEING
History
What
is life without butter? This creamy
savoury spread has been around since the early period of around 2500 BC in the
land of Mesopotamia and through time has impacted greatly on food as it currently
is a major food commodity to many households. Butter is usually a product of the
milk fat that is produced from cows, goats and sheep and can be used for a
variety of foodstuff ranging from simple spreads to baking and cooking
ingredients (Fallon 2000).
Source www.kerrygold.co.uk
Kerrygold
butter owned by the Irish Dairy Board (IRD) was first established in the United
Kingdom (UK) in 1962 after the formation of the IRD in 1961, in which it now
competes with many other leading world dairy markets such as Nestle, Dean Foods
and The New Zealand Dairy Board (NZDB) (Dubson 2005). Ireland’s first major
export did indeed come from butter as it started off in a small village creamery where the butter
was being made in a traditional ‘country’ way in which the end product was a
‘golden creamy butter’. Kerrygold has maintained their standard and continues
producing the ‘traditional Irish butter’ taste.
As time progressed, the company expanded as demand increased for the product. In addition to the strong competition from other international dairy markets, the Kerrygold group has expanded on their butter products, marketing new dairy items on the shelves of supermarkets worldwide (Kerrygold 2014)
As time progressed, the company expanded as demand increased for the product. In addition to the strong competition from other international dairy markets, the Kerrygold group has expanded on their butter products, marketing new dairy items on the shelves of supermarkets worldwide (Kerrygold 2014)
In
1964, The Kerrygold brand had their first major exports to countries such as
Cyrus, Greece, Germany, France, Middle East, The Americas and the Caribbean
(IDB 2014). Then in 1973, when Kerrygold joined the European Economic Community
(EEC) it was launched in Germany and marketed there. In 1994, Kerrygold butter
had a significant part in the market of Germany contributing to about 10% of
the market share in the country (Doubson 1995). Even up till this present day,
Kerrygold plays a significant part in the market share in Europe and also is
marketed globally throughout the world.
Source www.kerrygold.co.uk
Social
Farming has been a
traditional way of life for many farmers of Ireland and so the Kerrygold group
is made up of many small scale Irish farmers that come together and produce
milk for the company based on their standards (Kerrygold 2014). As time progressed, Kerrygold's market expanded gloabally, supplying their butter worldwide.
Source: www.idb.com
Environmental
The temperate climate
and ideal environment for grass growing has led to the rearing of cows and milk
production which is the main source for butter. Therefore, if there was always
a steady supply of grass, farmers used this at their advantage and so produce
milk and other dairy products (IDB 2014).
THE INGREDIENTS
v Butter (48%),
v Vegetarian oil (21%),
v Olive oil (5%),
v Buttermilk,
v Salt (1.0%),
v Milk proteins,
v Vitamin E
THE COW (MAIN SOURCE OF INGREDIENTS) à Provides Butter, Buttermilk and Milk proteins
Kerrygold
butter comes from locally reared, grass fed, British Friesian cows. These cows
are usually the dominant breed in the UK as it is known to produce huge volumes
of milk of an average of 6020 litres of milk per year (Holstein UK). According
to Kerrygold’s website, their cows are fed grass for 312 days for the year and
silage (dried grass) for the rest of the 53 days which is usually for the
winter season when fresh grass is unavailable. Animal husbandry is the main
practice carried out in rearing the cattle on many of the small farms in
Ireland where there is a maximum of about 60 cows on the farm. A typical cow’s
diet contain 90% locally grown grass and 10% supplementary feed. The
supplementary feed however comprises of crops such as wheat, barley, corn and
soy and can contain some GM ingredients. Other supplements used such as the dried peel
and pulp from oranges and other citrus fruits does not contain any GM
ingredients and is more of an organic approach to supplying the cows with added
nutrients (Kerrygold 2014).
The
Gluten free milk is pasteurised in which the milk is separated from the cream
and then heated up for about 15minutes at 80 degrees. This is the process in
the making of the Buttermilk. The butter and milk proteins however, are created
directly from the fat which is separated from the milk and the milk proteins
are derived from the naturally produced milk from the cows (Dubson 2005).
Other
Ingredients- Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil and Salt (Could not have been traced)
This
information could not have been traced and serves as a limitation to the
research done on the product. These oils are vital for the smooth butter
texture and helps make the butter ‘spreadable’.
TRANSPORT
After
making a few phone calls to the local grocery stores, all the groceries had a
common distributor company called VEMCO LIMITED located in Diego Martin,
Trinidad. After speaking to the Sales and Merchandiser manager at VEMCO, I was
told that the Kerrygold butter was sourced straight from the Kerrygold Company
based in Ireland.
VEMCO
has an extensive network throughout the Caribbean in which they distribute
temperature controlled products such as frozen, chilled and ambient foods.
Butter which is usually kept in a chilled environment is shipped via
refrigerated containers from the source company to Trinidad where they are kept
at cool until they reach the supermarkets. These containers allow people from
around the world to enjoy fresh and chilled products.
SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN WHICH IT WAS PRODUCED? IS TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED?
Social
In Ireland, farming
is considered as a way of life for many. Traditional agricultural practices
have been passed down to farmers through the years and so many of them take
pride in doing their job as they acquired a rich farming heritage through their
ancestors. Therefore, the environmental conditions on the farms are of a high
certified standard as Kerrygold also ensures the quality of their products as
they focus on the health of the animals and the sustainability of the dairy
farms as the cows are reared outdoors and not enclosed in a factory farming
environment.
Environmental
The
cows used to produce the butter are raised in a temperate climate which is ideal
for the growing of grass and rearing of animals. In Ireland, traditional
agriculture is still practiced by many farmers and is presently common on the
island as many farmers still own small scaled farms. Many of these farms are
handed down from generation to generation and so many of the traditions are
still kept. Sustainability is a main focus for Kerrygold as many farms house
about 60 cows on the pasture which allows the cows to be carefully treated and not
intensively farmed. Ireland has a vast amount of land dedicated to agriculture,
and so the cows feed on fresh grass daily as approximately two thirds of the
land is used for agriculture and growing grass (Kerrygold 2014).
As
a result of the type of climate experienced, there is also a steady supply of
water as rainfall is abundant and so the grass is able to grow naturally
without the need for mechanical irrigation. Therefore, in terms of technology, water
irrigation systems are not needed and so little technology is used for the
growing of grass. However, energy wise, modern technology is used in the
generating of electricity as the main source of energy used in the industry
(approximately 54%) comes from renewable energy sources (IDB 2014) Also for the
production of the butter there is a great deal of butter plants as in 2000,
there were 11 butter processing plants in Ireland (Prospectus-Promar
International 2003)
In
2012, the IDB implemented a Supplier Code of Conduct in which member suppliers
are to adhere to their environmental policies which included strict
environmental standards to be upheld which was based on the rearing of animals
in terms of its health and safety and the well-being of employees. Kerrygold
also has a strong ‘No GMO policy’ in which they themselves do not use GM
products in the butter. However, in the supplements given to cows, some GM
ingredients may be used in the grains given (Kerrygold 2014).
HOW HAS THIS COMMODITY
BEEN MEANINGFUL TO SOCIETY AND MYSELF?
Compared to other
commodity items such as rice, water and flour people may not see butter as
meaningful to society as other food products. However, if we think about how
beneficial and accessible it has been to many of us when we want to grab a
quick sandwich or want to make a dessert then we may rethink our thoughts about
it. Butter has not only been something to eat with bread when we have no
alternative foods in the fridge or a spread we use on crackers but it has been
the main ingredients of some of our most savoury foods such as cakes, brownies
and cookies. Although some may think of butter as a fattening and unhealthy
food, the Kerrygold spreadable with Irish butter has been modified with reduced
fat and more vegetable oils to provide the body with essential fats and
proteins as well as additional Vitamin E. Therefore, Kerrygold butter is now
being made to benefit persons with high cholesterol and cardiac problems so
they can enjoy the commodity in moderate amounts. Much healthier alternatives
are now being offered so that more people can enjoy this commodity. This has
also been a very important commodity to society as butter is not made locally
and so these imports supply us with the butter we need.
Kerrygold butter has
also played a meaningful part of my life as it has been part of my daily
breakfast meals since almost everyday of my lifetime since I knew myself! Yes I
am a butter lover and it also provides me with calcium, fats and nutrients that
are needed for the body. Kerrygold butter is also the main ingredient used when
im baking and has been a product regularly used in the kitchen!
HOME-MADE CAKE MADE WITH KERRYGOLD BUTTER! These photos show where my commodity food item has gotten me and has been meaningful to my life :)
HOME-MADE CAKE MADE WITH KERRYGOLD BUTTER! These photos show where my commodity food item has gotten me and has been meaningful to my life :)
References
Dobson,
W. 1995. Competitive Strategies of Leading World Dairy Exporters. UK:
University of Wisconsin. Accessed April 9, 2014. http://babcock.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/documents/productdownload/dp_1995-1.en_.pdf
Fallon,
S. 2000. Why Butter is Better. Accessed April 9, 2014. http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better
Holstein
UK. Accessed April 3, 2014. http://ukcows.com/holsteinUK/publicweb/Education/HUK_Edu_DairyCows.aspx?cmh=66
Irish Dairy Board. 2006. Annual Report
Irish Dairy Board. Accessed March 29, 2014. http://www.idb.ie/brands/kerrygold
Kerrygold 2014. Accessed April 2, 2014. http://www.kerrygold.co.uk/
Prospectus-Promar
International. 2003. Strategic Development Plan for the Irish Dairy Processing
Sector. Acessed April 4, 2014. https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/publications/2000-2003/Chapter1DairyIndustryProspectusReport2003.pdf
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