June 16, 2022

James O'Donnell elected new president of Irish Co-operative Organisation Society

James O'Donnell was elected as the new president of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), replacing Jerry Long who was served as president for the past three years, the Irish Examiner reported.

O'Donnell, a dairy farmer from Golden in County Tipperary, Munster province, and a member of Dairygold Co-operative, has served as vice president of the organisation for the past four years and has led both the ICOS Finance and Governance Committee and the ICOS Rural Business Committee.

O'Donnell is also chairman of the South Tipperary Farm Relief Service Co-operative and serves on the ICOS Board as a representative of the National Co-op Farm Relief Service.

The new president said Irish agriculture has the ability to provide the finest quality meals while also having one of the lowest carbon footprints of any agricultural system on the planet.

He also said that this will be realised through the continued implementation of existing and ongoing environmental protection measures, proactive emissions reduction on a realistic basis using all obtainable technology and resources, and the overall commitment to sustainability that the sector is prioritising across all aspects of their co-operative enterprises.

The chairman of Arrabawn Co-operative, Edward Carr, has been elected as the new vice president of ICOS. Mr Carr is a member of the ICOS Dairy Committee and a dairy farmer from Milestone, Counry Tipperary.

With over 150,000 members, 12,000 employees, and a combined turnover of EUR 14 billion (~US$14.5 billion; EUR 1 = US$1.04), the ICOS represents 130 co-operative enterprises in Ireland.

-      Irish Examiner