London, 6 May 2003: Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty today announced that an extra £3 million will be given to Food from Britain in support of a campaign to promote the UK's regional food and drink industry over the next three years.
Food from Britain (FFB), the Government's lead export marketing agency, will spearhead the campaign, aimed at both consumer and trade audiences, which follows on from the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food.
Lord Whitty said:
"The regional food and drink industry plays a vital role in the rural economy, both as a viable industry, and through the wider environmental, economic and cultural benefits that can flow from it. But more work can be done to raise consumer awareness of regional food products, encourage retailers and the food service industry to sell them, and increase producer competitiveness. We have worked closely with stakeholders in drawing up a support strategy to address these issues and I am pleased to be able to announce today that Defra will be providing an extra £3 million over the next three years to help deliver the strategy."
promoting sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally;
improving productivity in the least well performing rural areas and increasing accessibility of services for rural people;
cutting pollution and promoting a low-carbon economy;
promoting a sustainable farming and food industry;
reducing risk of animal diseases and ensuring high standards of animal welfare;
cutting waste and increasing recycling.
Specific to local food the report confirms Defra's commitment to:
encourage best practice, waste reduction,
improved information flow and co-operation between farmers and between different parts of the food chain
strengthen support for quality regional food (but nothing on local food) work with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency to promote better links between food and health
