As the government pulls the plug on funding throughout UK economic sector, a new body has been formed to help capitalise on the “huge” opportunities which remain in the food sector.
English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP) is proposing to invest in a newly formed agri-food consultancy led by the current EFFP management team.
The current not-for-profit organisation will be renamed the Food and Farming Foundation (FFF) while the new consultancy, European Food and Farming Partnerships LLP, will help generate income for EFFP.
The move has been made after government funding for the body, which helps broker partnerships and devise solutions for businesses across agriculture and horticulture, dried up.
An agreement has been reached for the management team, led by chief executive Siôn Roberts, to invest an additional £250,000 into the new business alongside EFFP.
EFFP was set up in 2003 as a recommendation of Sir Don Curry’s Policy Commission. Roberts told FPJ that two to three years ago the body received almost half of its £2 million a year turnover from government but after the original five-year remit expired in 2009 EFFP continued on a lower level of funding. It now receives nothing but agricultural minister Jim Paice supported the proposals and said DEFRA has developed a strong and longstanding relationship with EFFP.
Jim Paice said: “Developing a competitive food and farming sector is a key priority for DEFRA and I fully support EFFP’s mission to champion collaboration across the industry. Restructuring as they have is a bold and innovative way of ensuring the continuation of the good work they have undertaken in recent years.”
Roberts said: “What is going to happen to the economy and growth remains to be seen but in future the industry could be a real growth area as we know population will push up demand and long-term prospects are strong.
“There’s no government funding any more and structuring a profit-making business in membership form is difficult and in our experience people prefer straight up business relationships.
“By splitting the roles of championing collaboration across the wider industry from the delivery of specific commercial business solutions, the new structure will provide clarity of function and focus for both organisations.”
The board of EFFP are asking the members of EFFP to support the proposed changes at an EGM to be held at the end of September.
National Farmers’ Union president Meurig Raymond said: “This is a sensible response by the board to changes in government funding in order that this important work can continue. We will meet with European Food and Farming Partnerships in the coming weeks to discover how the Foundation will hold true to its mission and to discuss how farmers and growers can have an involvement in its governance.”
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