Working with governments
Driving engagement with policymakers
We work closely with government and regulators, alongside our members, to ensure government policy supports a competitive food and drink manufacturing sector, securing a regulatory environment that works in practice and enables food and drink businesses to grow and thrive.
We engage with policy makers across England, Scotland and Wales to champion the industry and provide insight on critical issues that matter most. This includes providing secretariat for the UK Parliament’s Food and Drink APPG and the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Food.
We also organise site visits with MPs, MSPs and MSs to food and drink factories, have a strong presence at the political party conferences, and host political events and roundtables throughout the year.
Autumn Budget 2026
The Chancellor's Budget has done nothing to ease food price pressures or support the UK's food and drink manufacturers.
Instead, one of the Chancellor’s flagship announcements, removing tariffs from some food and drink products, will have no meaningful impact on consumer prices. But it will undermine British factories and their workers, grappling with much higher costs, producing the same products.
Our budget submission outlined how we want to work with government to strengthen food security, support jobs and unlock investment while helping keep food affordable for consumers.
However, we're concerned that the Treasury has persistently failed to recognise the importance of our sector to jobs and prosperity across the UK.
MP's Choice Award
This award celebrates the extraordinary SMEs that make up 97% of the UK's food and drink manufacturing sector. We're inviting Members of Parliament to shine a spotlight on the exceptional food and drink manufacturers in their constituencies by nominating them for the 2026 award.
Member engagement
Direct, regular contact with our members is key, our committee meetings and specialist group forums allow our members' voice to be heard on the critical issues that impact business.
We further support our members and producers by engaging strategically on supply-chain fairness, retailer relationships, the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), and issues of cost and inflation.
