Mr. John Whelan:

Ethical products are very much the in thing globally. Most of our multinationals have already bought into them and indigenous companies are buying in more slowly. Next week, for the first time, a sustainable exporter award will be presented at our export industry awards ceremony. We have been pushing very hard in the greening of the supply chain and Bord Bia has introduced its Origin Green initiative. All of this is aimed at bringing about more sustainable, ethical production, whereby we will not be damaging the planet or the people who inhabit it. As most poverty has been eliminated through international trade, we want to keep pushing in that regard but without disadvantaging anyone in the process. Trade and human rights can sit very comfortably alongside each other. Corporations in Ireland which have been doing well on the export front have been buying into this message. Besides being good for one's soul, it is also probably good for business to be waving the flag for human rights and ethical products.