Annual Review 2009: Leading from the front
Industry in action
A powerful advocate for the food sector
As the respected advocate of the UK's
largest manufacturing sector, FDF has
spent the past year ensuring that industry's
voice has been heard by policy makers,
politicians, the media and other opinion
formers.
Our strong profile ensured that
we were able to hold regular meetings with
Ministers in key Government departments –
and their shadows on the Conservative and
LibDem front benches – as well as senior
officials in Defra, Department of Health,
Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills and the Food Standards Agency.
British MEP Geoffrey Van Orden hosted FDF's reception in the European
Parliament
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In Parliament, we continued to raise
awareness of our issues through events
such as our annual reception in the Palace
of Westminster, which was used as the
launchpad for our new report on industry's
reformulation efforts, backed by Public
Health Minister Gillian Merron.
During the
year we also hosted a successful dinner
for 12 Westminster MPs with Scottish
constituencies, including Scotland Office
Minister Ann McKechin and leader of the
SNP in Westminster Angus Robertson MP.
We continued to support the efforts of the
All Party Parliamentary Group focused on
food and drink manufacturing, which is
chaired by Bill Wiggin MP and hosted a
number of successful events during the
year. And we joined forces with the National Farmers' Union and the British
Retail
Consortium to run fringe events at all three
annual political party conferences.
We remain active in the debates within the
EU institutions, supporting our European
association CIAA as well as lobbying in
our own right. For instance, as part of our
advocacy efforts around labelling based
on Guideline Daily Amounts, we hosted a
Brussels dinner during the year attended
by 100 officials, MEPs and other decision
makers including the then EU Health
Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.
Other activities that underpin our
communications work include our
annual President's Dinner, at which the
Government's Chief Scientist Professor
John Beddington was guest speaker in
2009.
Our regular breakfast briefings for
members continue to prove popular and
during the year members were able to
hear from the Chair of the Government's
Council of Food Policy Advisors, Dame
Suzi Leather, and Chief Executive of
the Committee on Climate Change,
David Kennedy.
Our annual Community
Partnership Awards showcases excellence
in the industry on areas such as workplace,
environment and education.
The Scottish Food and Drink Federation
continued to build awareness of the
industry through initiatives such as the Cross Party Group on Food in the
Scottish
Parliament; its chairmanship of the CBI
Scotland Trade Association Committee;
and its ongoing participation in the Scottish
Government's National Economic Forum.
In this review
FDF: steered by our members -
- By Jim Moseley, Managing Director, General Mills UK
- By Fiona Dawson, Managing Director, Mars Chocolate UK
- By John Sutcliffe, Chief Executive, ABF Grocery
- By Jonathan Bye, Managing Director, Vimto
- By Paul Freeston, Chief Executive, apetito
Industry in action: