Dairygold Paperless
Dairygold Paperless
Dairygold Sponsors Dairy Women Ireland Conference 2023
Dairygold was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 2nd annual Dairy Women Ireland (DWI) Conference which took place in the Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare on Saturday 25th November 2023. The Conference had a great turnout of over 200 delegates from across the Irish Dairy industry. The theme of the conference was ‘Cultivating Health and Success’ with discussions on various topics including Dairy Business Finance, Family Farm Succession and Health & Wellbeing. Dairygold suppliers Siobhan and Mitchell Hayes participated in a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Strategically developing your role to fulfil your goals’ and outlined their respective roles in the management of their dairy farm business.
Speaking at the opening of the DWI Conference, Ann Fogarty, Dairygold Group Company Secretary commented, ‘Dairygold is very proud to sponsor and support the Dairy Women Ireland Conference. As a leading Dairy Co-Operative, Dairygold understands the pivotal roles that women perform in all facets of the Irish Dairy Industry. Dairygold recognises the importance of having strong female role models, to ensure Dairygold has future generations of female farmer shareholders, employees and leaders, both within the Dairygold business and wider Irish dairy industry. Dairygold encourages and promotes the sustained growth and success of initiatives supporting women in agriculture’.
Dairygold promotes greater gender diversity in the Membership of the Society
During the conference, Ms. Fogarty outlined key elements of Dairygold’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy. She outlined how Dairygold is encouraging greater Female Member Share ownership and participation in the Society and on the Dairygold Representative Structure.
Dairygold recognises that many women lead or partner in the successful management and operation of their family farm business. However, as is the case in many Irish Co-operatives, traditionally, it is quite often the male in the household who is listed on the Co-op Share Register. Dairygold is actively encouraging more females to become Shareholders in the Society, in their own right or as Joint Shareholders, with their partners, which facilitates on farm succession planning for their shareholding also.
Dairygold is actively promoting greater gender diversity on its Representative Structures, including the Regional Committees, General Committee and Board of Directors. Joint Shareholding is a mechanism which facilitates greater female participation in the Representative Structure and will facilitate greater gender diversity in the Board of Directors also. Dairygold is also promoting greater diversity through the Member Upskilling Programme. This programme gives Shareholder Members (and their family members) the opportunity to learn more about Dairygold, its operations and governance structures and allows Members to enhance their business knowledge and personal business skills also. Dairygold is also actively promoting the Young Farmer Member Programme, encouraging Members’ sons and daughters, to become more actively involved in their Society. If you are keen to learn more about any of the above initiatives, please contact the Group Company Secretary’s Office on 025-44068.
