December 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference focuses on the National Food Strategy for England.
Delegates will assess Part One of the Strategy - and look ahead to priorities for Part Two, expected to be published early next year.
It is bringing together key stakeholders and policymakers - including Henry Dimbleby, Independent Lead, National Food Strategy, as well as Minette Batters, President, National Farmers Union; Stefano Agostini, Chief Executive Officer, Nestle UK; Emily Miles, Chief Executive Officer, Food Standards Agency; and Ian Wright, Chief Executive, Food and Drink Federation.
Also due to attend are parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament, along with policy officials from Defra; DHSC; the FSA; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the NAO; the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; DIT; Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Isle of Man Government; the National Food Crime Unit and the Welsh Government.
The agenda:
- Progress on the National Food Strategy
- Key priorities for the agricultural sector
- Stakeholder perspectives on part one of the Strategy
- Supporting access to good quality nutritious food for children and the vulnerable
- Maintaining high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trading relationships
- Stakeholder perspectives on part two of the strategy - developing a comprehensive plan for transforming the food system
- Linking with wider Government policy and the obesity strategy
Key areas for discussion:
Priorities for Part Two and wider government policy - looking ahead to expected recommendations for more far-reaching reform of the UK food system, with emphasis on health and sustainability:
- COVID-19 - how the pandemic has caused behavioural and organisational changes, and affected structures within the food system, as well as implications for food policy and what can be learned for the future and what has been learnt from the second national lockdown in England
- policy coordination - how the National Food Strategy links with wider Government policies and initiatives, looking at:
- farming and land use - in the context of the Agriculture Act, Environment Bill and the 25 Year Environment Plan, including support for the farming industry
- Tackling Obesity - the way forward for the Government’s strategy in the context of latest nutritional science, and informing future interventions around diet-related health
- assessing the relationships and joint working between government departments that work on the different aspects of the food system
- food security - following the EFRA Committee on COVID-19 and food supply report:
- with recommendations - on consulting on legislation for a Right to Food after the Food Strategy’s publication, and appointing a Minister for Food Security
- the Government response - on support for suppliers, vulnerable groups’ access to food, reducing food waste, working with charities and local government, and monitoring food insecurity - as well as the recent decision not to extend food vouchers to the half term or Christmas holidays
Perspectives on Part One
- social welfare and trade - assessing the Strategy’s focus on practical, pragmatic activities to be undertaken by government, designed to:
- support the country through the turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
- prepare for the end of the EU exit transition period on 31 December 2020
- tackling deprivation - proposals on improving the diets of the most disadvantaged children, through:
- expanding eligibility for the Free School Meal (FSM) scheme - with discussion expected on:
- its temporary expansion to children with no recourse to public funds
- the impact and future role of advocacy initiatives such as the campaign led by Marcus Rashford
- extending the Holiday Activity and Food Programme
- increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers
- extending the work of the Food to the Vulnerable Ministerial Task Force
- future trade strategy - putting sovereignty, standards, and scrutiny its heart, asking the Government to:
- only agree to cut tariffs in new trade deals on products which meet core standards across animal welfare, climate and the environment
- adopt a statutory responsibility to commission and publish an independent report on any proposed trade agreements
- give Parliament the time and opportunity to properly scrutinise any new trade deal
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament, as well as Defra; DHSC; the Food Standards Agency; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the National Audit Office; the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Department for International Trade; Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Isle of Man Government; the National Food Crime Unit and the Welsh Government.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
