Annual Review 2010: Promoting a British Success Story
"I want others to
share the pride in
our achievements
and see UK food
and drink as a
glowing example
of manufacturing
success" - Jim Moseley, FDF President
An industry we can all be proud of
It's easy to see why those of us that work in food and
drink manufacturing are proud of our industry. Each
day we provide consumers with a range of innovative,
safe and healthy food and drink products. As the
UK's largest manufacturing sector, we are vital to the
country's economic resilience, weathering the economic
storm while creating better jobs with a bright future.
Furthermore we are responsible corporate citizens,
engaging in our local communities, stepping up to the
plate on public health and as an increasingly sustainable
industry, reducing the impact of our production.
During my time as President of FDF I want to encourage
our members to continue and accelerate their proud
record of delivery, whether economic (with for example a
sixth successive year of record exports in 2010),
providing exciting career opportunities for the next
generation of scientists or through the development
of voluntary initiatives such as our revised Five-fold
Environmental Ambition.
Above all I want others to share
the pride in our achievements and see UK food and drink
as a glowing example of manufacturing success.
We publish this review as the Coalition Government
approaches its one year anniversary. As ministers take
stock and look to the road ahead so are we.
During the last year the Government's agenda
appeared to be bold and at times hectic. A cabinet level
commitment to cut red tape, a clearer focus for UK Trade
& Investment, a commitment to support the Manufacturing
Advisory Service, Climate Change Agreements extended
to 2023, promoting STEM skills and 50,000 additional
apprenticeship places all demonstrated that this
Government was not only pro-business but also listening to
business. Whilst these tactical interventions were welcome,
they highlighted a need for a clear strategic agenda
for food.
The first two items on that agenda are crystal clear – the
implications of the Foresight report and the Government's
desire to see a resurgence of UK manufacturing to aid the
rebalancing of the economy.
Foresight's work left no doubt about the course of action
that we need to pursue. We need to produce more,
from less and with less impact in order to meet the twin
challenges of future food security and climate change.
The report also made clear that subsequent actions must
be joined up and simultaneous. Accordingly Government
cannot afford for there to be a policy vacuum around food
or that space will quickly transform into a bewildering
marketplace for single issue policy making. In such an
important area, merely facilitating debate is not good
enough.
When the Government set out its vision for growth, the
Business Secretary and the Chancellor issued a clear
challenge that growth must be strong, sustainable, shared
and balanced. As an industry that touches the four corners
of the country with a demonstrable track record of good
corporate citizenship enjoying a robust demand for our
products, UK food and drink passes those tests with
flying colours.
You will see from this annual review that we have worked
closely with the Coalition Government to identify and
tackle barriers to growth. We are making progress.
But are we suffi ciently ambitious?
We know that food and drink manufacturing will continue
to play a vital role in underpinning the UK economy, not
only creating wealth for the nation but also ensuring
its food security.
Meanwhile across the globe there will
be millions of new consumers with new and changing
demands for increasingly high-value added food and drink
products. At the same time we will face stiff competition
from the emerging economies as they add value to their
own products and displace processed imports. Put simply
there is a huge amount of business at stake and we must
make sure that we have every chance to make the
most of it.
I want us, with Government, to develop a shared
comprehensive growth strategy for food. To do this we
need a much better detailed understanding of how to
maximise the growth potential of the UK food and drink
manufacturing industry – and indeed what the full scale
of that potential might be. From there we will identify the
clear opportunities for accelerating growth and articulate
the policies required to help our competitive position.
Thereafter we need Government commitment to help us
realise that potential. In the same way that we've worked
with ministers, making changes to our businesses to
reduce the impact of our production on the environment
and public health, our industry will require Government
to work with us to implement changes that maximise our
impact on the economy. Then we will really have both an
industry and a shared agenda that we can all be proud of.
Next page: Food safety and the
importance of science
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