AIC Joins First Meeting of Government's Farming and Food Partnership Board
L-R Sarah Bradbury, IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), Balwinder Dhoot, FDF (Food and Drink Federation), Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds, National Farmers' Union (NFU) President Tom Bradshaw, Farming Minister Angela Eagle, Kate Nicholls, UKH (UKHospitality), Emily Norton, AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) and Robert Sheasby, AIC.
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) joined ministers and senior industry leaders this week for the first meeting of the Farming and Food Partnership Board, as Government and the food supply chain came together to shape how the new Board will support farm productivity and profitability.
The inaugural meeting, held on Wednesday 25 March, was chaired by the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, with Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle as Deputy Chair. It brought together representatives from across farming, food manufacturing, retail and hospitality to agree the Board’s mission, ways of working and initial priorities.
AIC's Chief Executive Robert Sheasby attended the meeting alongside representatives from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and UKHospitality.
Commenting following the meeting, Robert Sheasby, Chief Executive of AIC, said:
“The Agricultural Industries Confederation is pleased to have been invited by Ministers to join the new Farming and Food Partnership Board. Bringing government and the full supply chain together is essential if profitable and sustainable agriculture is to sit at the heart of the Government’s long-term vision.
“This Board provides an important opportunity to create a structure where all sectors of UK agriculture can invest, innovate and plan for growth with confidence. It is vital that the Board delivers clear and identifiable outcomes, and AIC will work constructively to support this.”
The creation of the Farming and Food Partnership Board builds on Baroness Batters’ Farm Profitability Review and is intended to place farm productivity and profitability at the centre of decision-making across the food system.
Its early work will focus on the development of Sector Growth Plans, which Defra has confirmed will be led by industry and co-designed with Government. These plans are intended to tackle barriers to growth, unlock investment, accelerate the uptake of technology and improve farm returns.
Horticulture and poultry will be the first sectors in focus, reflecting their potential to drive growth and increase domestic production. Defra has confirmed that work on the horticulture growth plan will begin immediately, with poultry to follow later in the year.
The Board will complement the work of the Food Strategy Advisory Board, supporting wider efforts to drive change across the UK food system. Sub-groups may also be established to bring together expertise from across government and industry to address specific challenges and deliver practical improvements in farm profitability.
Following the meeting, the Environment Secretary reiterated that the Government is working closely with industry to support farmers facing rising diesel and fertiliser costs linked to geopolitical events. Ministers have raised concerns about potential price gouging with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and have stated that profiteering will not be tolerated.
AIC will continue to engage with the Board to ensure the perspectives of agri-supply businesses are reflected in its work, and that future policy development supports a resilient, productive and sustainable UK food supply chain.
Author
Wendy Ford
Wendy Ford is Communications Manager at AIC, creating and overseeing the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media.
