FDF Parliamentary Reception 2024

On July 10^th 2024, the week after the general election, we hosted our annual parliamentary reception. We had 70 parliamentarians attend, many of whom were spending their first week in Parliament as newly elected MPs.

At the reception, newly appointed Minister of State for Food and Farming Daniel Zeichner MP who spoke to guests of the importance of working together to support our sector. Sharon Hodgson MP, Vice Chair of the Food and Drink APPG, and Alan Beech, from Clarke Energy - our reception sponsor – also spoke.

In her address to attendees FDF CEO Karen Betts discussed the integral role played by the food and drink sector in the nation’s growth, as seen in the excerpt of her speech below.

Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation said: 

“Food and drink is our nourishment and sustenance, but it isn’t just fuel – it’s connection, it brings people together, it’s how we laugh, and how we love. It’s how we celebrate and how we comfort, it’s our memories, our culture and identity.

Our industry is an integral part of our nation’s growth, we provide good jobs and great careers at every entry level, and we’re investing in skills, science and innovation. We’re also investing in recycling, from better infrastructure to new, more recyclable packaging materials, to achieve a key goal in our manifesto of building a circular economy.

We are also committing to fuel the science that enables our industry to make food and drink healthier – by reducing fat, salt and sugar and adding fruit, fibre and vegetables to help everyone make better, everyday choices for their long term health.

We’re further investing in the sustainability of our operations and our supply chain, to ensure that alongside our commercial, government and other partners – the UK’s food and drink system is robust and resilient, tackling climate change and restoring nature. We’re trading with the world too, whether that’s bringing ingredients into the UK and turning them into something delicious here, or exporting brilliant products to markets overseas.

The food system is under pressure to deliver environmentally and to support healthier diets, we’re rising to those challenges, alongside partnering with your government to create the conditions in which we can super-charge the investment that food and drink needs in the UK.

We’re working to build on what we have to ensure ours is a dynamic industry of the future - nourishing and connecting us all.”

Thank you to our sponsor and everybody who attended our parliamentary reception. We are looking forward to working in active partnership with the new Labour government and parliamentarians to address the challenges facing our food system.