In this brief interview at the BlueTech Forum in Dublin, Waterworld chief editor Angela Godwin speaks with John Durkan, Environmental and Sustainability Manager at ABP Food Group. Durkan explains why cost efficiency and sustainability are increasingly critical for food‑industry businesses, highlighting the sector’s close ties to consumers and retailers and the negative perception around greenhouse‑gas emissions. He describes ABP’s sustainability program, which focuses on reducing water consumption by examining the water cycle within processing operations. Durkan emphasizes that technology and innovation are essential drivers of resource efficiency, helping to lower energy, water, and CO₂ footprints across sites. The conversation underscores the role of industry forums in showcasing new technologies that can advance sustainability agendas globally.
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Hi, I'm Angela Godwin, chief editor for Waterworld and Industrial Water World magazines. I'm here at the bluetech Forum in Dublin, Ireland, talking with John Darkin. He is the environmental and sustainability manager for ABP Food Group. John, thank you so much for joining us today. We really appreciate it.
Thank you. Angela, good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Dublin.
Such a beautiful city. And one of the things I want to talk to you about today though is cost efficiency and sustainability. We why are these becoming so important for business operations?
Well, I suppose sustainability is very important in the food industry because we have a close connection with consumers and retailers and that. And obviously in the food industry it gets bad press sometimes regarding to greenhouse gases and CO2. And as part of a sustainability program for EBP, we've looked at water, the use of water, the water cycle within our processes to try to reduce the amount of water that we use and process.
Excellent. Now here at the BlueTech forum, we're talking a lot about technology and technology that's making an impact in the water space. What does that mean for food and beverage?
I think technology is most important in this area. Innovation is key. It is my firm belief that innovation is going to drive that sustainability agenda throughout Ireland, but throughout the world and the food industry in general, and it's forums like this that enables organizations understand new technology as it arises and drive forward that sustainability program in terms of resource efficiency to reduce our energy, our water, our CO2 footprint on our processes and sites is most important.
Excellent, John. Well, we appreciate your time today. Thanks for catching up with us and we wish you all the best of luck.
Thank you.
For Water World magazine and industrial Water World magazine, I'm Angela Godwin.
