DEFRA secretary of state Hilary Benn has stated that the key objective of the newly formed task force launched last month is to identify the barriers to increasing the production and consumption of fruit and vegetables in England and to put forward practical proposals to remove these barriers.
In order to achieve this objective, the task force is proposing to engage the expertise and knowledge of a broad group of individuals from across the fresh produce sector through the work of a series of sub-groups, covering production and competitiveness; supply chain and public procurement; and consumption and demand.
Following the first meeting of the group last week, the industry is awaiting confirmation of details regarding the sub-groups.
One member of the task force told freshinfo: “It is early days but the signs are positive so far. The plan is to meet around four times a year, with each sub-group formulating ideas in the meantime.”
The 20-strong working group stretches across the supply chain to include growers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers and researchers, with the aim of developing an action plan to increase both the production and consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The group includes National Farmers’ Union chief horticultural advisor Phil Hudson, Fresh Produce Consortium chief executive Nigel Jenney, British Retail Consortium food policy director Andrew Opie, Tesco UK produce director Alex Dower and KG Growers chairman Marion Regan, among others.
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