Tomorrow’s Food and Drink Summit to be held in 10 Downing Street (16th May) is a critical opportunity for the Government and industry to join forces on driving down food and drink price inflation, says trade body the Food & Drink Federation (FDF).

In addition, the NFU is calling on Government to make this an annual event, Whilst NFU Scotland (NFUS) commented that it welcomed the Prime Minister fulfilling his commitment to host the summit.

The FDF went on to say that the Government must use the meeting as an opportunity to fully engage the food and drink sector on initiatives to drive growth, increase productivity and create jobs, while driving down food and drink price inflation.  

FDF added that Government could help take the heat out of high prices by addressing poor regulation, not least the proposed costs of Extended Producer Responsibility, alongside minimising new labelling costs flowing from the Windsor Framework and friction at UK borders.

Chief executive of the FDF, Karen Betts, commented: “The No 10 Summit is timely. The food and drink sector has been under considerable pressure over the 2-3 years as we’ve grappled with COVID, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the stark cost rises that have flowed from these. 

“We want the summit to forge a better partnership between Government and our sector, not least to address the highest food and drink price inflation in 45 years. There’s work to be done to unlock the huge potential of our sector to invest in technology, innovation, sustainability and future skills right across the UK, which would enhance our global competitiveness, grow our businesses and deepen our resilience.”

In a statement FDF said that there are three main areas of concern for business.

• First, unnecessary costs imposed on businesses must be eliminated. The complex but much needed EPR recycling reforms will pile additional financial burdens on the industry, hindering its ability to maintain affordable prices for consumers. The FDF will urge the Government to immediately look again at the design of Extended Producer Responsibility and its impact on the sector’s competitiveness and investment prospects. 

• On labelling, the industry wants to see burdensome labelling changes scaled back, as these go beyond the requirements set out in the Windsor Framework. These excessive and costly changes will place undue strain on manufacturers and ultimately lead to higher prices. The FDF is urging the Government to adopt a balanced approach that considers both consumer needs and the industry’s ability to adapt.

• On borders, reducing frictions at the borders FDF say it is critical to ensuring a smooth flow of goods and ingredients. Additional bureaucracy and fees will contribute to rising costs, impacting both manufacturers and consumers. The FDF calls on the Government to address these challenges promptly and provide the necessary support to streamline border operations.

NFU president Minette Batters also welcomed the potentially “turning point” event. Commenting, Batters said: “We welcome No.10 and Defra delivering on the Prime Minister’s commitment he made to the NFU last year to host a Food Summit. We are calling on Government to make this an annual summit which would mark a turning point in how previous Governments have prioritised the safe and affordable supply of sustainably produced home-grown food.”

NFU Scotland will also be attending the summit and its President Martin Kennedy added: “This summit must shine a spotlight on the nation’s food supply chain and give urgent consideration to the measures needed to ensure that the clear vulnerabilities in our food security are never again exposed to the extent that they are now.

“We welcome the Prime Minister fulfilling his commitment to host this summit. This must be the start of a process that delivers long-term change in the way the Government views the importance of a safe, sustainable, and affordable supply of home-produced food, with full recognition of the cost of its production, and that it acts to invigorate domestic production and reduce our reliance on imports.”