Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum

***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will be an opportunity to discuss priorities and next steps for policy and support to address key challenges facing the UK’s food and drink supply chain.

We are delighted to be able to include keynote sessions at this conference with Chris Tyas, Director of Food Supplies, Defra; and Chair, GS1 UK; Mark White, Groceries Code Adjudicator; Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive, British Ports Association; and Phil Bicknell, Market Intelligence Director, AHDB - as well as contributions from the Agricultural Industries Confederation; the Association of Labour Providers; the British Growers Association; Cranfield University; the Green Alliance; the International Meat Trade Association; Mills & Reeve; the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium; Sustain; the University of York; Which?; and the World Resources Institute.

Overall, the agenda will bring out latest thinking on:

• international trade and logistics:
  
  • current outlook - disruption, opportunities, experience, and learning from how the sector is dealing with the impact on costs, scheduling, and workforce capacity
  • pressures at ports
  • animal exports
  • support through transitional changes
• fairness in the supply chain:
  
  • priorities for the new Grocery Code Adjudicator
  • food pricing
  • setting standards
  • managing compliance and enforcement
• the COVID-19 pandemic - implications and priorities, including:
  
  • consumer trust and changing demands
  • building resilience and strategies for recovery
  • food security and the Defra initiatives on food supply
• environmental sustainability:
  
  • the way forward for reducing emissions and waste across the food supply chain
  • the impact of new legal and regulatory frameworks

The conference is bringing together stakeholders alongside key policy officials who are due to attend from Defra; DAERA, NI; the Department for International Trade; Food Standards Scotland; the National Food Crime Unit; and the Welsh Government; as well as parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament.

The agenda

• Building resilience in the UK food supply chain in the response to the pandemic and into the future
• The impact of COVID-19 on the food supply chain - consumer trust and demands, vulnerability in the system, food security, and priorities for recovery
• The outlook for international trade and the relationship with the EU
• Priorities for UK ports - responding to new pressures, managing the transition from the EU and preparing for future shocks
• EU exit and the food supply chain - logistics, navigating regulatory changes, building strength and resilience, and options for supporting the sector to adapt, recover from losses, and overcome workforce challenges
• Reducing emissions and waste across the food supply chain - the role of the sector in the developing policy framework for agriculture and environment
• Improving fairness in the supply chain and the impact of the new policy landscape following EU exit - food pricing, setting standards, and managing compliance and enforcement
• Priorities for the Groceries Code - regulation, responsiveness and fairness as the sector moves forward

Key areas for discussion:

International trade and logistics:

• post-Brexit:
  
  • disruption - assessing priorities for mitigating the impact of the issues with supplies from the EU, and challenges they present for the food supply chain
  • opportunities - assessing progress on new trading partnerships, and what is most needed to be able to maximise potential benefits for UK supply chains
  • experience and best practice - learning from how the sector has dealt with the impact on costs, scheduling, and workforce capacity, as well as the outlook for the future
• pressures at ports - the early stages of transition, and managing flow when the system gets more developed, as well as looking at how it can cope with any problems that arise
• issues moving forward - including the position of the Northern Ireland food supply, and discussion more widely on how to make the new system work for the just-in-time food supply chain
• animal exports - assessing the impact of the end of the health certificate grace period, how prepared the supply chain is to comply, and mitigating potential challenges
• support through transitional changes - identifying where in the sector help is most needed and what forms it should take, drawing on the example of the £23m fund announced for seafood exporters

Fairness in the supply chain:

• the Agriculture Act - establishing how its provisions can promote fairness in the supply chain, as the Secretary of State is given powers to make regulations for the purchasers of agricultural products in different sectors, with delegates considering:
  
  • how this works in practice - the sectors that would benefit most from the Secretary of State’s intervention, and how this regulation will be enforced
  • setting comprehensive regulatory standards - while incorporating the flexibility required for individual circumstances, particularly in the context of the development of a new Code of Conduct for the dairy sector
• supply chain fairness mechanisms - looking at determining the value of the product at the farm gate, as well as deciding what the right price is for food, and what consumers are prepared to pay
• priorities for the new Groceries Code Adjudicator:
  
  • taking forward outcomes of the Statutory Review - which found that despite good progress, there needed to be efforts to encourage suppliers to come forward with issues
  • opportunities for driving forward progress - lessons from the pandemic, building relationships, and the adaptability and resilience of the Code

Learning from the impact of COVID-19:

• consumer demand - the effect of stockpiling on the rest of the supply chain and consumer trust in food supply, as well as changes to consumer purchasing through the pandemic
• building future resilience - latest thinking on managing both efficiency and responsiveness to major shocks, and the outlook for just-in-time supply chains
• policy coordination - assessing cross-government action so far to support the food supply chain, and ways that policy and governance can take a more joined-up approach going forward
• food security - what has the pandemic taught the sector about vulnerability in the global food supply chain
• workforce - balancing safety with productivity, overcoming social distancing challenges, and addressing workforce shortages

Environmental sustainability - how the supply chain can be supported to address environmental challenges and align with the net-zero agenda for both policymakers and consumers, looking at:

• priorities and key areas - strategies across segments of the food supply chain for how emissions and waste can be reduced across the system
• policy - the role of new agriculture and environmental legislation in developing a farming system that benefits the environment
• change at a time of unparalleled pressure - when the food supply chain is under strain and adapting to both the pandemic and Brexit

A scan of relevant developments:

• the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement - with provisions for the exporting of food and drink products
• Government Is Considering New Delays To EU Import Checks - PoliticsHome reporting that the Government is looking at a range of options to avoid disruption to the food supply chain, including delaying import checks to prepare for hospitality reopening, amid concerns over food supply issues
• appointment of Chris Tyas as the new Director of Food Supply at the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, following disruption at the start of the pandemic
• Agriculture Act 2020:
  
  • with powers for the Secretary of State to impose regulations on business purchasers of agricultural products to promote fairness in the food supply chain
  • setting out a new payment system that rewards farmers for public goods
• Groceries Code Adjudicator:
  
  • the statutory review finding the approach of the GCA to have been positive, with progress made but with more work needed to make more suppliers feel confident in coming forward with issues
  • Mark White appointed as new Groceries Code Adjudicator - we are delighted that Mr White is a keynote speaker at this conference
• COVID-19 and food supply - an inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee, and the subsequent Government response on the key actions to mitigate disruption
• Companies urged to sign up to mass COVID testing to ‘keep food supplies running’ - with food and drink companies included in the mass testing programme
• New Code of Conduct to ensure a fairer dairy supply chain - announced by Defra, with questions over how to make sure it is flexible to individual circumstances
• New financial support for the UK’s fishing businesses that export to the EU - in response to losses resulting from the end of the Brexit transition period and the ongoing effects of the pandemic
• the Seasonal Workers Pilot - running for an additional year alongside plans to take forward the Pick for Britain campaign to improve domestic recruitment, and a review into how automation can be utilised more
• Record of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) progress meetings with Code Compliance Officers (CCO) - the GCA continues to meet with representatives from major retailers to ensure compliance

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, and officials from Defra; the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise; DAERA, NI; the Department for International Trade; the Food Standards Agency; Food Standards Scotland; the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office; the National Food Crime Unit; and the Welsh Government.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government and regulatory officials involved in this area of policy, together with representatives of the agriculture and food and drink industry - including associations, manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers - local government officials, ports and logistics, lawyers, environmental groups, academics, international attendees, charities and consumer groups, together with reporters from the national and specialist media.

This is a full-scale conference taking place online***

• full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript 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

***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference focuses on the regulation of new and emerging novel foods in the UK - including the way forward for policy following the UK’s exit from the EU, how regulation is responding to innovation in the food sector, and the role of novel food methods in addressing food system challenges.

Areas for discussion include:

• establishing the UK regulatory system for novel foods - managing a smooth transition, new opportunities and challenges, and the future relationship with the EU
• market development - improving access to novel food products across the plant-based sector, as well as insect foods and CBD
• safety - ensuring that consumers are protected as the sector grows
• research and development - priorities for driving forward innovation in the food sector, and how the regulatory system can keep pace
• role in sustainable food production - as well as opportunities for novel foods to contribute to meeting wider strategic challenges within the food system

The discussion is bringing together stakeholders with key policy officials who are due to attend from the FSA; Food Standards Scotland; the National Food Crime Unit; Defra; DHSC; the CCC; BEIS; the Cabinet Office; DAERA, NI; DIT; the FCDO; and the Welsh Government.

The agenda

• Developments in regulating novel foods and the UK’s approach following exit from the EU
• Regulation of novel foods in the UK - responding to emerging trends, the evolving regulatory landscape, and priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU and other territories
• Safe market development and access to novel foods - consumer protection and the use of descriptors, responding to plant-based sector growth, learning from insect-based food regulation, and CBD as a novel food
• Priorities for research and innovation in the food sector and the regulatory response to utilising novel food processes
• The role of novel methods in the production of sustainable food and addressing food system challenges
• The future for the use of GM and gene-edited methods in the UK
• Developments in nutritional health claims in novel foods and the impact of COVID-19
• Next steps for the use of innovative food methods to meet UK strategic challenges

Areas for discussion:

• transition from the EU and UK regulation:
  
  • the transition to UK regulation:
    
    • the transference and development of a novel foods regulatory system in the UK following exit from the EU
    • the process of separating risk assessment and risk management functions within the FSA, and preparing for increased capacity
  • ensuring accountability and adaptability:
    
    • adapting to new novel foods in the UK
    • the impact of Brexit on the UK’s regulatory approach
    • providing a coordinated approach to assessments across the UK
  • the future relationship with EFSA - including the use of datasets, and the practicalities and potential challenges of the maintenance of EU guidance to reduce bureaucratic burden

• CBD:
  
  • the UK’s stance on CBD - and the potential for any divergence following the recent EU Court of Justice ruling that CBD is not narcotic
  • assessing the growth in development of CBD products in the UK, its position as a novel food, and priorities for the safe market development of CBD products

• insect-based foods - what can be learned for the UK’s regulatory assessment process, as EFSA approves yellow mealworms as its first insect-based food product
• plant-based foods:
  
  • use of descriptors:
    
    • as the plant-based product market grows and the use of meat terms for alternative products receives support in the UK and EU
    • with discussion turning to the descriptors used for dairy-free products, as the EU votes to ban dairy terms for these products
    • implications for the industry, and the UK’s position going forward
  • transparency and clarity:
    
    • marketing and advertising of plant-based products, and ensuring consumers are not misled
    • the impact of Advertising Standards Agency rulings on raising awareness, and addressing concerns about consumer protection
  • regulatory agility:
    
    • adapting to developments within the plant-based sector, particularly with the use of novel processes to create products imitating meat
    • ensuring safety in the utilisation of these new methods
• nutritional health food claims and functional foods - including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the acceleration of products with general health, wellbeing and wellness claims
• research and innovation:
  
  • supporting R&D within the food sector to meet changing population needs and behaviours
  • balancing safety and innovation - ensuring safety while avoiding restricting development of innovative methods, such as 3D printing and the personalisation of food products within the food sector
  • GM and gene-edited crops:
    
    • what should the UK’s position be on the use of GM and gene-edited crops and livestock following exit from the EU
    • assessing the evidence around GM approaches and delivery, with discussion expected on safety concerns and the impact of the UK’s position on the sector 
• sustainable food production in the UK:
  
  • overcoming challenges - the role of novel foods and processes in meeting both environmental and food security challenges within the UK moving forward
  • policy trends - whether the gene-editing consultation is the sign of a change in direction in the approach to food sector innovation, and what this could mean for the future of regulation
  • the UK National Food Strategy - how the UK can safely harness novel food development in addressing the country’s strategic challenges in agriculture, nutrition, the environment, and national climate ambitions

A scan of relevant developments:

• EU Court of Justice ruling on CBD - the recent ruling that cannabis-based CBD is not a narcotic drug and does not have a harmful effect on health
• Food Standards Agency sets deadline for the CBD industry and provides safety advice to consumers - with:
  
  • CBD products that have not submitted an application and safety information to the regulator being taken off the market after the 31st of March
  • introduction of safety advice to vulnerable groups and recommendations for safe healthy adult use
• EFSA approval of its first insect-based food product - for yellow mealworms, following the EFSA novel food assessment process
• Gene Editing consultation launches in England - from Defra, including calls for evidence on the GM approach, possibly signalling a new outlook from the UK following Brexit
  
  • the consultation is now closed, with results expected in the coming months, and of significant importance to future policy decisions
• the National Food Strategy - which looked at the challenges facing the food system in Part One of the review, and is expected to consider the solutions and opportunities for transforming the food system in Part Two, which is expected in the spring

Policy officials attending:

Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons, and officials from BEIS; the Cabinet Office; the Committee on Climate Change; Defra; DAERA, NI; the Department for International Trade; the Department of Health and Social Care; the Food Standards Agency; Food Standards Scotland; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the National Food Crime Unit; and the Welsh Government.

Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government and regulatory officials involved in this area of policy, together with representatives of the agriculture and food and drink industry - including associations, manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers - local government officials, ports and logistics, lawyers, environmental groups, academics, international attendees, charities and consumer groups, together with reporters from the national and specialist media.

This is a full-scale conference taking place online***

• full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript 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

***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will assess the key priorities for taking forward UK agriculture policy in the context of implementation of the Agriculture Act and the UK’s exit from the EU.

We are delighted to be able to include a ministerial address at this conference from Victoria Prentis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defra.

Areas for discussion include:

• the new payment system - managing the transition and priorities for collaboration, support, and engagement with the agriculture sector
• environmental land management - lessons from the pilots, fair measurement of the value of public goods, and taking into account the needs of farmers in more challenging settings
• regulation - setting and enforcing requirements and standards, coordination and support, and the way forward for simplification
• productivity and sustainability - achieving both economic and environmental goals, building net-zero into the future of agriculture, and priority areas for innovation, research and investment

The conference will be an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who are due to attend from Defra; BEIS; the Committee on Climate Change; the Environment Agency; the Forestry Commission; DAERA, NI; the Department for Infrastructure, NI; HM Revenue & Customs; the National Audit Office; The Scottish Government; The Planning Inspectorate; the Welsh Government; the Department for International Trade; and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The seminar is supported by The Icon Group, and organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum.

The agenda

• The future for UK agricultural policy following EU exit
• ‘Successfully applying the concept of paying for environmental public goods’
• Priorities for managing the transition to the new payment system, inclusive approaches for effective delivery, and taking forward wider new national agricultural policy
• Land use, resource management and the future for productivity in the new rural policy landscape
• Delivering effective environmental land management - pilot progress, practicalities and support for farmers, the future for land use, resource management and productivity, and aligning with net-zero emission targets
• Next steps for agriculture policy in the UK

Key areas for discussion:

• the Agriculture Act - taking forward the new national policy for agriculture in the UK, following exit from the EU and the transition from CAP payments, looking at:
  
  • priorities for effective implementation
  • opportunities for working collaboratively to achieve successful delivery
  • engagement with the sector throughout the process
• transition and support - managing the transition to the new payment system, including:
  
  • the £1m Future Farming Resilience Funding Scheme - its impact in supporting farmers and providing guidance for the move towards the new approach to farming
  • addressing concerns over a lack of clarity on the latter years of the transition period for payments
  • the Government’s future subsidy approach - priorities for its development, and concerns that a UK approach to the agriculture industry around this would not be appropriate due to its devolved nature
• payments - the impact of moving towards a system of payment based on public goods, as well as:
  
  • ways that payments can incentivise the use of sustainable practices and provide a benefit to farmers
  • assessing the phased reduction of payments, and mitigating the impact of transition on farm businesses
  • addressing concerns around tenant farmer access to new payments
• environmental land management:
  
  • pilots so far - assessing progress, and lessons learnt to inform the development of the scheme, including around planning, payments, collaboration, guidance and delivery
  • measuring value:
    
    • latest thinking and approaches to fairly and effectively assessing environmental outcomes
    • options for accommodating the situation of farmers in more environmentally challenging areas
  • implementation - priorities for the successful application of paying for environmental public goods, and for making it work
  • land use and resource management - evaluating the environmental benefits and long-term opportunities, as well as:
    
    • impact of the payment transition - what the move to a payment system based on public money for public goods means for the future of land use and how resources are managed
    • priorities for local nature recovery - including habitat, species and natural flood management, as well as landscape recovery
• regulation - next steps for reform, including:
  
  • balancing minimum requirements with standards that farmers are paid to exceed
  • making the regulatory system more supportive and advisory
  • how to simplify and improve coordination in the regulatory landscape for farming
• improving productivity:
  
  • the contribution and role of productivity as part of the future outlook for farming
  • how the drive for productivity sits alongside environmental policy aims
  • identifying priority areas for innovation, research and investment
• net-zero - building climate adaptation and the meeting of decarbonisation targets into the future of agriculture:
  
  • the potential contribution of environmental management schemes and how they should be configured
  • supporting the sector to deliver the action required, at a time of considerable change and transition
  • what more needs to be done to meet the net-zero agenda

The policy context:

• the Agriculture Act - setting out the future for UK agriculture policy following the UK leaving the EU, and the move away from CAP to a public money for public goods system
• Environmental Land Management: test and trials - an update from Defra including findings so far around planning, guidance, collaboration, payments and delivery
• The Path to Sustainable Farming: An Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024 - from Defra:
  
  • setting out the agricultural transition period as the UK leaves the EU
  • outlining the phased reduction of direct payments, and the development and introduction of environmental land management schemes
• Farming Innovation Pathways - the competition launched by UKRI and Defra looking to advance research and development in agricultural innovation to address farming challenges, with funding split between feasibility projects and industrial research
• National food strategy for England - the independent review led by Henry Dimbleby, with recommendations on addressing systemic food chain challenges in agriculture, sustainability and the environment
• the Environment Secretary’s speech at the NFU conference 2021 - outlining the future of agriculture, and inviting farmers to take part in the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, with expressions of interest being accepted in March
• Trade and Agriculture Commission: Final Report - with recommendations including that Government must maintain high food standards for imports in any future trade deal
• Subsidy control: designing a new approach for the UK - the Government’s closed consultation on the development of a national domestic subsidy approach, which works across the UK, following exit from the EU

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 and the House of Commons Library, and officials from BEIS; the Committee on Climate Change; DAERA, NI; Defra; the Department for Infrastructure, NI; the Department for International Trade; the Environment Agency; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the Forestry Commission; HM Revenue & Customs; the National Audit Office; The Scottish Government; The Planning Inspectorate; the Valuation Office Agency and the Welsh Government.

Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government and regulatory officials involved in this area of public policy, together with representatives of the agriculture and food and drink industry - including associations, manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers - local government officials, representatives of the agritech and crop science industries, environmental and conservation groups, academics, lawyers and consultancies, international attendees, charities and consumer groups, together with reporters from the national and trade media.

This is a full-scale conference taking place online***

• full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript 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

***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will be an early opportunity to discuss key developments in UK fisheries policy and implementation of the Fisheries Act following the end of the EU exit transition period and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

We are delighted to be able to include a keynote contribution from Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis MP.

The discussion is bringing together stakeholders with key policy officials who are due to attend from Defra; DfT; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; DIT; and the Welsh Government.

The agenda:

• UK fisheries policy and key priorities
• Opportunities going forward for UK fisheries and next steps for policy
• Developing fair and competitive practices around trade and quotas
• Strategic priorities for fisheries management across the UK
• The role of regulation in fisheries and marine life protection
• Fisheries within the wider maritime and ports environment
• Implementing sustainable fisheries management and protecting marine life

Relevant developments:

• The end of the transition period and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement­ - with the MMO and devolved administrations issuing new fishing licences
• the Fisheries Act - with provisions on fishing rights as the UK leaves EU agreements, conservation, support for the fishing industry and ports, and for the Marine Management Organisation
• international agreements:
  
  • UK and Norway sign historic fisheries agreement - including annual agreements on quotas and access to waters for the two countries
  • a further UK agreement with the Faroe Islands, and a bilateral arrangements with Iceland and Greenland
• The Marine Management Organisation fast-tracks grants to help England’s ports and fishing industry - the MMO inviting applications for grants to help ports or harbours impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking views on managing fisheries in Marine Protection Areas
• International Fisheries Management - the Government’s recent outline of developments and its policy approach for managing shared and international fisheries, working with other coastal states, RFMOs, the UN and other supranational organisations, and with devolved UK governments
• UK signs agreement with ICES demonstrating commitment to international marine science collaboration - Defra announcing cooperation with the International Council of the Exploration of the Sea on conservation, protection, the sustainable use of the marine environment and sustainable fisheries

Key areas for discussion:

• the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement­, further trade agreements and next steps for policy and implementation
  
  • assessing UK-EU trade deal outcomes - what they mean for the future of UK fisheries:
  • supporting fair trading - how best to determine which fish stocks fall under each territorial water in order to agree and develop the quotas
  • future opportunities
• internal UK relationships - the future for strategic coordination between the UK government and devolved administrations:
  
  • the shape of future joint working, with provisions in the Fisheries Act for a Joint Fisheries Statement to coordinate fisheries management and planning for sustainable stocks
  • priorities for the UK’s devolved administrations and for equitable sharing of opportunities, benefits and other outcomes of agreements with the EU and more widely
• sustainable fisheries management
  
  • the legislative framework - provisions and safeguards in the Fisheries Act and whether they go far enough, further priorities, and options for addressing concerns over possible loopholes
  • climate-smart fishing - implementation priorities and the impact of the Act in setting out a plan for protecting marine species
  • international leadership - the UK as a champion in sustainable fisheries policy and practice, and working with other coastal states on sustainability and marine species protection
  • regulation - the role of the Marine Management Organisation as it takes on powers to manage fishing activity and provide advice and guidance on sustainable fisheries
  • support and funding - replacing the EU European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and what social, economic and employment support is most needed by the fishing industry and communities
• the wider policy environment:
  
  • levelling-up and green recovery policy agendas - the role of fisheries and how they can be supported going forward to realise benefits and access funding and support
  • innovation - the development of Free Ports and development of the modernisation and digitisation of ports
  • the Government’s Maritime 2050 vision with its ambitions to improve the safety, employment protections and performance of the fishing industry, as well as on addressing environmental and climate challenges

Policy officials attending:

Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons, and officials from BEIS; Defra; the Department of International Trade; the Department for Transport; the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the Isle of Man Government; and the Welsh Government.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government officials in this area of public policy, together with other stakeholders concerned with or affected by developments in UK fisheries policy, including food market and supply chain personnel, fisherman and fishery advocacy groups, foreign embassies, conservation authorities, local government, environmental campaigners, members from the wider ports and maritime sector, scientists, academics and researchers, as well as members of the national and trade media.

This is a full-scale conference taking place online***

• full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript 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

***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference focuses on key policy developments and next steps for reducing obesity in England.  

Areas for discussion include:

• the Government’s Tackling Obesity strategy - looking at implementation and next steps for enabling healthy food choices
• the food environment - including labelling, marketing and in-house promotions, as well as local public health initiatives and encouraging healthy lifestyles
• tackling inequalities - including access to weight management services and the role of primary care
• COVID-19 - the impact of the pandemic on food and lifestyle habits, assessing support measures, and implications for public health going forward

The conference is bringing together stakeholders with key policy officials who are due to attend from DCMS; DHSC; MHCLG; Defra; the National Audit Office; DAERA NI; and the Welsh Government.

The agenda:

• Assessing the progress and effectiveness of obesity interventions so far
• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and eating habits
• The obesity challenge and the food and drink industry
• The Obesity Strategy and supporting consumers to make healthy choices - calorie labelling implementation, HFSS product marketing, and in-store promotions
• Opportunities for supporting people access a healthy active lifestyle
• Improving public health and developing a healthy local food environment
• Priorities for tackling health inequalities, supporting access to expanded weight management services and the role of primary care
• Next steps for taking forward the Obesity Strategy

Areas for discussion:

• Tackling Obesity and the wider policy context:
  
  • next steps - options going forward in the context of the Obesity Strategy and options for further measures that may be required, including around reformulation programmes, infant food calorie labelling, and health in the workplace
  • coordination - how the obesity strategy fits in with the wider policy environment, including:
    
    • the National Food Strategy, which is expected to publish recommendations for government in the Spring
    • development of the new National Institute for Health Protection which brings together functions for health improvement and prevention 
• changing the food environment:
  
  • implementation - and impact of restrictions affecting labelling, marketing and advertising of foods on better enabling people to make informed, healthy food choices
  • FOPNL - clarity and accessibility, effectively supporting healthier choices, balancing warnings and positive choices, and how much labelling should follow dietary advice around sugar
  • calorie labelling on food menus:
    
    • implementation - key issues for the out of home industry, and support that might be needed to enable new rules to be put in place
    • consumers - priority target groups, and best practice for effectively supporting both healthy decisions and the understanding of the nutritional value of a meal, as well as its calories
    • innovation - the opportunities presented for out of home meal reformulation
  • in-store HFSS promotions:
    
    • support for retailer compliance including smaller stores
    • the impact of placement restrictions for HFSS products
    • opportunities for using volume and location-based promotions for healthy products
    • the potential impact of new restrictions on HFSS product promotions in retail settings from April 2022, and enforcement processes and sanctions
  • advertising restrictions - the impact and implications for marketers and advertising platforms on encouraging reformulation to meet requirements, and on reducing rates of obesity
  • voluntary sugar reduction targets - assessing implementation by industry, remaining barriers, and how to improve progress in the out of home sector 
• COVID-19 - assessing the impact, the policy response and resulting changes:
  
  • support - with the increased risk of more extreme symptoms, assessing Government help for those affected to lose excess weight during the pandemic, and its impact
  • lockdown - working from home and changes to lifestyles and eating habits, and what this has meant for people’s food choices, weight and health during the pandemic, and the implications 
• tackling inequalities and improving access to services:
  
  • priorities - particularly in addressing obesity in the context of the pandemic
  • tackling underlying factors:
    
    • latest thinking on the links between deprivation and poverty
    • implications of research finding people from a BAME background are more likely to have poor health outcomes, and be more vulnerable to obesity and other related conditions
  • promoting public health and engagement:
    
    • assessing what is needed from the new Better Health campaign
    • opportunities for enabling people to have a healthy, active lifestyle
    • the ways that people can be supported to access weight management services
  • the role of primary care - assessing how services are being made more widely available on the NHS, and learning from the strong uptake of the expanded diabetes prevention programme

Relevant developments:

• Restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt: enforcement - consultation on processes for checking compliance, and on potential sanctions
• Tackling Obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives - the Government’s strategy focusing on:
  
  • the food environment - introducing change and helping people to make healthier decisions by:
    
    • Front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the UK: building on success - consulting on the traffic light system currently in place, as well as alcohol calorie labelling
    • calories and promotions - legislating for large out of home companies having to include calorie food labels, and on HFSS promotion based on volume and in-store location
    • marketing - introducing a 9pm watershed for the advertisement of HFSS products and consulting on restricting HFSS advertising online
  • preventative healthcare - and provision of NHS support to those who are overweight:
    
    • services - expansion of weight management and improving access given to those with obesity and at high risk, and expanding the NHS diabetes prevention programme
    • Major new campaign encourages millions to lose weight and cut COVID-19 risk - a new Better Health campaign as well as a free 12-week NHS Weight Loss Plan app
    • workforce development - the opportunity for primary care network staff to train as healthy weight coaches, easing access to specialist support, and incentivising GP referrals
  • Introducing a total online advertising restriction for products high in fat, sugar and salt­ - DHSC consulting on how this measure could be designed 
• COVID-19:
  
  • recently reported comments from Professor Dame Sally Davies attributing the UK’s number of COVID-19 fatalities in part to a failure to tackle obesity
  • the impact on eating and exercise habits, and the disproportionate risks to people who are obese and those from some ethnic minority backgrounds 
• Surge in people checking their risk of type 2 diabetes - NHS reporting that almost 300,000 people have taken up the Healthier You Diabetes Prevention Programme since it was expanded in July
• Third year of industry progress to reduce sugar published - PHE’s annual voluntary sugar reduction report finding average reduction across all categories at 3%, and soft drinks industry levy success 
• Government response: mandating calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector - the consultation outcome with:
  
  • forthcoming legislation to make it compulsory for larger businesses
  • possible extension to smaller businesses, who are meanwhile encouraged to voluntarily calorie label
• the National Food Strategy for England - with the second chapter in the spring which will include recommendations related to the Obesity Strategy
• Childhood obesity - the NAO’s recent report on the progress made so far in the Government’s approach to reducing child obesity and calling for greater urgency, coordination and commitment
• National Child Measurement Programme: childhood obesity - research by University College London on what can be learned from local authorities that have a downward trend in childhood obesity
• the National Institute for Health Protection - bringing together PHE and other bodies for the COVID-19 response, as well as other key functions of health improvement and prevention
• the Health and Wellbeing Fund ­- £7.6m from government
  
  • supporting 19 projects to reduce health inequalities among new mothers and babies, including preventing obesity and diabetes
  • the fund will focus on mothers living in black, Asian or minority ethnic communities or deprived areas

Policy officials attending:

Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by officials from the DCMS; Defra; DAERA NI; the DHSC; the MHCLG; the National Audit Office 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 and transcript 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