The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) published a Manifesto for the Food Chain on 13th February to set out an ambitious strategy to grow the food chain. The manifesto focuses on three themes, under an overarching aim for industry to work with government so that the food chain can thrive.

FDF sets out the ambition:

To partner with government to see our industry thrive in the UK, to the benefit of consumers and to drive up investment and opportunities over the next decade. We highlight three key areas where we want government to partner with industry:

  • Green and adaptive to create a circular economy through high-performing, producer led EPR and DRS schemes that drive up recycling rates, delivery of Net Zero policies and further reduces food waste
  • Productive and growing to foster investment in innovation, facilitate an effective regulatory environment that drives growth, deliver a trade strategy that boosts exports, and tackle the chronic skills shortages experienced by our sector
  • Nourishing and innovative to deliver a joined-up approach across government to tackle poor diets, a clear and consistent public health campaign to inform and empower consumers to make healthier choices, and a reformulation fund to support small and medium sized businesses make healthier products

The UK Food Valley is pleased to support the FDF Manifesto which strongly aligns with the ambitions set out in 2021 with the three UK Food Valley themes of productivity enabled by digital technology, low-carbon, resource-efficient food chains and, delivering healthier diets through naturally good for you food, mapping very well on the FDF’s three themes.

The UKFV also welcomes the focus on ‘creating a farm to fork supply chain that powers our nation’ and doing this ‘across every community’, recognising that all parts of the food chain need to thrive and that the chain is present in every community across Greater Lincolnshire and wider UK.

The full FDF manifesto can be viewed at: https://www.fdf.org.uk/fdf/about-fdf/powers-our-nation/