Food Policy and Evidence Seminar

1. Food policy and evidenceFMEG seminar, University of Manchester, 2 April 2014Lucy FosterFood and Environmental Risks Directorate

2. Overview • The big food challenges • Meeting these challenges – policy and evidence • Defra’s role in food policy • Evidence overview • Case studies • Fitting it all together

3. The challenges Increased demand 50% by 2030 (IEA) Energy Climate Change Food Increased demand 50% by 2030 (FAO) Water Increased demand 30% by 2030 (IFPRI) Globally 30% of food is wasted Diets are also changing...

4. setting the policy agenda Balancing future demand and supply sustainably A Addressing the threat of future volatility in the food system B Meeting the challenges of a low emissions world D Ending Hunger C Spread Best practice, new knowledge Sustainable intensification Env/Food system economics Reduce waste Change consumption patterns Maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services while feeding the world E E

5. Defra’s role in food policy Defra’s Food Policy Unit (FPU) leads Government’s work with the food industry, sponsored bodies and other interested organisations to secure a UK food chain which isgrowing, sustainable, resilient to change and trusted by the consumer. There is no significant spending programme on food, and, with the exception of specific regulation on food product standards and food labelling (all EU-driven) and gangmasters (national), few regulatory levers. Most policy activity is about facilitating action by others, working closely with food chain businesses and their representatives, sometimes through expert agencies such as UKTI and WRAP. Focus on our multi-disciplinary evidence programme (natural science, socio-economic and statistical analysis) which provides much of the basis for influencing others.

6. Food Policy Unit Top 3 priorities: • Domestic and export-led growth, competitiveness and innovation in the food chain • A resilient, secure and sustainable food supply chain • The integrity of the food supply chain

7. Growth, competitiveness and innovation • A sustainable, growing and competitive agri-food sector is best placed to deal with future challenges • Government is working with industry to deliver the ‘Export Action Plan’. Commitment increase by at least £500m by October 2015. • 2013: Trade missions: opened 112 new markets for animal and animal products, increasing non-EU exports by £179m to £1.35bn • UK consumers increasingly interested in British food and drink. • Offers opportunities for domestic producers.

8. (Post-farmgate) Food chain competitiveness • The food industry has been improving its productivity since 2000 (in particular manufacture & wholesaling) • Performance overall is stronger than the wider economy (6% increase in total factor productivity since 2000 vs 3% increase) • Of the sectors, manufacture is most exposed to international competition Source: Food Chain Productivity of the United Kingdom Food Chain 2000-2012, Defra

9. Resilient, secure and sustainable food supply • Foresight Future of Food and Farming (2011) identified the future global challenges facing the food sector – set policy agenda • The 2010 UK Food Security Assessment analysed the UK’s food security position across six themes. • The UK currently has a high degree of food security in terms of access, availability, resilience and variety of food supply • The UK’s food security depends on being able to source from a variety of stable countries, including domestic production

10. Resilient, secure and sustainable food supply • The size and diversity of the UK food and farming sectors give substantial resilience to the UK food supply chain • The ability to provide alternatives and draw on a variety of sources reduces the risk of serious disruption of food supply • Government works closely with the food sector to promote business continuity planning (ongoing) • Contribute to Cabinet Office National Risk Assessment on food supply resilience (annual and ongoing)

11. Integrity of the food chain Activities: • commissioning a fundamental external review of the integrity of the food chain ‘Elliot Review’ to ensure we identify any improvements to systems to restore confidence in the light of the horsemeat fraud; • responding to consumer demands for better information through improved country of origin labelling of meat; • implementing the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation; • giving confidence to build long term customer/supplier relationships within the food chain by setting up the Grocery Code Adjudicator; • raising the profile of the Food Authenticity Programme, e.g. by holding a national conference to highlight the work of the programme

12. Integrity of the food chain • The horsemeat incident at the start of 2013 highlighted the potential impact of a food fraud on the resilience of the food supply chain. • The incident saw the mass recall of a number of products across the EU and had a serious impact on consumer confidence in the food that they were buying or being served. • An independent review of Britain’s food system was launched in June 2013 and will report by Spring 2014. • Findings will be used to form recommendations to Government on how the UK can increase the resilience of its food systems.

13. Evidence : Setting the agenda - coordination • GFS refresh – published Nov 2013; • builds on Foresightand GCSA’s UK Food Research Strategy (2010) • 3 themes • Resilience –how poor environmental and economic resilience leads to hunger, poverty and environmental degradation across the globe • Sustainable production and supply – including water, energy, nutrients and other inputs; land use and soils, with a particular focus on the sustainable use of resources; improving efficiency and reducing waste; farming systems; food production; food processing, quality, manufacture and distribution • Nutrition, health and wellbeing – including food safety and quality throughout the food chain • Many relate to supply chain! )

14. The Agri-Food research landscape Defra is a significant minority funder of agri-food related research. £450M Defra – agri-food

15. Food Chain Evidence PlanPrimary production (post harvest) to consumers Objectives • Increase competitiveness, innovation, growth in food and drink sector • Maintain a resilient, secure and sustainable food supply • The integrity of the food chain - increase confidence in food and provide accurate food labelling information These mirror policy themes……

16. Competitiveness and growth – innovation - resource efficiency, waste • Technological innovation in food -collaborative R&D • Technology Strategy Board-led • Defra contributed £30M to the TSB SAF Innovation Platform - key vehicle (£90M total) • Feasibility competition for SMEs (500K); Nutrition for Life (£6.25M) • Knowledge transfer– uptake into practice (KTP), SMEs

17. Replacing GHG refrigerants in retail stores

18. Robotics AFM249 - Low cost, easily taught, hygienic robot for co-operative working in the food industry ‘Grail Robot’ • partners: Salford University, RU Robotics, • Siemens, Samworth Bros, KUKA • Automation & Robotics UK

19. Food Manufacturing Efficiency • Up to £15m CR&D Competition – June 2012 • Increasing Raw material Use efficiency • Reducing Energy & Water use in Manufacturing • Reducing Supply chain waste • Improving Product shelf Life • A whole supply chain approach • from innovative technologies for “pre and post” farm gate handling & storage.. • to more efficient food processing, & packaging and distribution in the retail and food service sectors.. • and the efficient recycling of manufacturing by-products and waste streams To be led by FP & M Industry Partner

20. A UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies “That the UK becomes a world leader in agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability; exploits opportunities to develop and adopt new and existing technologies, products and services to increase productivity; and thereby contributes to global food security and international development”

21. What we will do • Improve translation of research into practice through £70 million government investment in an Agri-Tech Catalyst • £90 million of government funding for CentresforAgricultural Innovation • Provide stronger leadership for the sector; the Agri-tech Leadership Council • Build a stronger skills base through industry-led actions • Increase alignment of industry research funding • Increase UK exports and inward investment performance

22. Supply chain resilience - short term Policy –focussed UK Food Security Risk Assessment – drivers for evidence Risks to the food supply, price shocks (food/fuel), energy dependency (eg food manufacturing), supply chain disruption (eg ports) Food chain infrastructure awareness, pinch points –fuel shortage impacts Economically motivated fraud – food defence (PAS96) Gather evidence to inform industry risk management to build resilience(ii) Multi-disciplinary –

23. Supply chain resilience – long term • Strategic R&D, modelling, horizon scanning/futures (i) resilience to extreme weather and climate change (links to other Defra areas - climate ready, international, food security). Horizon scanning/futures - Cranfield (ii) Specific risks eg tidal surges/flooding Developing and using models to assess risks and impacts e.g. UCL/DFT (iii) Engagement activity to influence strategic research agendas e.g. Global Food Security programme (funders), Food Research Partnership, EU Framework Programmes (Horizon 2020, JPI FACCE, SUSFOOD ERANET) (iv) ‘100 questions for the food system’ shaping new needs

24. Integrity of the food chain – consumer confidence and making an informed choice

25. Labelling & food chain integrity (food authenticity) Strategic research/innovation (FSA, Scottish Executive, DAs, TSB) • Enabling methods to detect food fraud – authentic reference databases, markers etc • Validation and surveillance –predicting fraud • Knowledge exchange – uptake by enforcers, industry, EU EU engagement (FSA, FERA) • method harmonisation; sharing data/expertise • Predicting fraud – risk based approaches Labelling; Socio-economic analysis (FSA, DH, DAs) • Behavioural insights – impacts of deregulation, • new legislation (origin); setting baselines • Costs/benefits (policy options/evaluation; IAs) • Food Information to Consumers, Meat Products • Regulations, Bread And Flour Regulations

26. Examples of science Focus on: • Simplifying methods for uptake/up-skilling labs e.g. Breed authentication, DNA training courses • Validation e.g. offal and serum in meat products, meat binding agents, speciation, EU –wide /international validation • Feasibility studies - innovation e.g. spectral imaging, for basmati rice & durum wheat adulteration, oil speciation • Enforcement e.g. Updating N factors • Geographic origin e.g. Beef origin, Fish geographic traceability • Supporting innovation through industry-led technology with TSB • Leveraging co-funding and funding partnership projects (EU-wide)

27. Defra evidence programmes • Pre-farm (production) • Agriculture and Climate Change • Sustainable Livestock • Sustainable Intensification • Organic Farming, crop protection, quality • Resource use efficiency, waste, genetics, Biodiversity, soils Post farm (supply) Resource use efficiency, quality Resilience and Food security Sustainable production/ consumption Food labelling/authenticity Food waste Socio-economics and statistics – whole supply chain UK and global context

28. Delivering evidence with others Strategic research (innovation, food security) (Research Councils, DH, WRAP, EU) Policy-led; Socio-economic evidence– consumer/ supply chain insights to drive change (increase resource efficiency and competitiveness) – WRAP/industry bodies Examples…… • R&D with industry (TSB-led) on quality, resource efficiency, waste reduction , traceability (TSB, BBSRC, Scottish Executive, FSA) • Defras Sustainable Intensification Platform (Defra agri programmes) • Multi-partner Global Food Security programme Food choice call – behaviour, food prices(UK public funders) • FP7 ERANET (SUSFOOD) –sustainable production and consumption (15 Member States) • Significant leverage nationally, EU programmes

29. Where we fit in Links to external funders and initiatives ESRC DH, PHE, WRAP, Devolved Administrations

30. Thank you for listening lucy.foster@defra.gsi.gov.uk