Food and drink are top of the agenda this week as the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) launches the first ever East of England Food and Drink Industry Strategy.

The East of England is famed for its food and drink and has a large, progressive and diverse food and drink industry, much of it based on our highly productive agricultural land. The strategy aims to boost the growth and development of this multi-billion industry - consumers in the region spend about �9.4billion on food and drink every year.

The strategy was created as a 10-15 year view on what should be done in the East of England to enable this economically important industry to develop, grow and adapt to changing consumer trends. It identifies key themes, built around issues like innovation and new product development, skills, customer focus, global competitiveness and infrastructure. In the longer term it is hoped the strategy will help to inspire and co-ordinate investment in the industry from right across the private and public sectors to help address long-term trends.

Altogether 250 businesses working within the food and drink industry were consulted as part of the work to compile the strategy. Their responses were then incorporated and used to identify the key issues facing the sector, as well as to set clear objectives to assist the industry with adapting to predicted changes in consumer demands over the next 10-15 years.

The strategy�s key findings on how the consumer market will change in future years include: � Food sales will become focused on a few mega-trends in consumer attitudes eg. convenience, health and pleasure � Eating out will have an ever growing importance to all of us

It also found that whilst agriculture and food processing businesses each employ about 50,000 people, when adding those who work for suppliers, distribution services and food retailers the total number of people employed in the industry in the East of England is about 500,000.

The strategy fully complements the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs� (Defra) Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy (SFFS) and will carry forward the key objectives of the SFFS delivery plan to ensure they are met at a regional level.

Work has already begun on delivering this all encompassing strategy which incorporates the needs and issues of the entire supply chain � �from plough to plate� � i.e. farmers, food processing plants, brewers, supermarkets and restaurants.

An industry-led food and drink industry consultation board is due to be set up over the next few months to take forward the strategy. EEDA and Go-East will be represented on the board but it will essentially be driven by enthusiastic key players from all sectors of the industry.

The board will prioritise proposed actions and develop biannual regional action plans. These action plans will ensure the objectives of the strategy are met and succeed in bringing about real change within all sectors of the industry, in light of an ever changing economic landscape. They will also help to ensure the strategy is kept refreshed by using an industry panel to advise on emerging trends to ensure the strategy evolves with the needs of the industry.

Lady Caroline Cranbrook, regional food advocate of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: �At a time when consumers are showing increasing preferences for regional and local food, the Food and Drink Industry Strategy is well timed. Our food and farming industry is famed for its innovation and skills � it is one of the region�s greatest assets. The economic well-being of much of the countryside, the market towns and the villages depends on a flourishing industry but we face great challenges from the global market place. The Food and Drink Industry Strategy will provide a route map for the industry to negotiate the hazards ahead and help it retain its lead position, both at home and abroad.�

Pam Forbes, regional director of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said: "Farming is at the heart of the region�s �3 billion food and drink industry so the NFU welcomes the approach taken by this strategy. It recognises that a profitable food and drink industry needs a profitable farming industry as its foundation. We are also pleased that it brings together the main objectives of Defra's Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy. "These are challenging times for farming and we look forward to working with EEDA and other organisations on key issues such as boosting local markets for our quality food, encouraging greater business collaboration among farmers, and reconnecting people with the food they eat." John Casey, head of life science at Unilever Research, Colworth, Bedfordshire, said: �It's great to see food and drink on top of the agenda - the industry has a huge role to play in the future health, well being and pleasure of consumers. It's particularly important that the strategy includes all the players in the food production and distribution chain.� The strategy was prepared by SQW in association with ADAS and Cambridge Econometrics. The publication will be announced today (Thursday 29 September) when Sir Don Curry, chair of the SFFS national implementation group, visits the region.

Sir Don Curry will be visiting Ashlyns Organic Farm near Ongar, Essex, which has embarked on an ambitious programme of developments. It has three farm shops, a very successful vegetable box scheme and has begun supplying food to schools. Ashlyns is now due to open a training kitchen for school cooks and is expanding its supplies to the public sector in London. Gary Stokes, of Ashlyns Organic Farm, said: �It is important for the future of the industry that children know where their food comes from and that they eat a balanced diet for the good of their health. There are many new opportunities for businesses, which are prepared to invest in public procurement or new sales routes. Public procurement is a relatively untapped market as far as smaller scale producers are concerned.

�Never has there been a better time, in the wake of the Jamie Oliver programs and the announcements from Ruth Kelly, to be pro-active and engage in the supply of local food to our schools. We have gone to great lengths to amend certain issues, such as training and education, to allow fellow producers to access this new and potentially rewarding market by joining with us in our supply group.�

The full strategy will be available to download or view online from tomorrow (Friday 30 September). Please visit EEDA�s website at www.eeda.org.uk

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Notes to Editors

About the East of England Development Agency The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is the driving force behind sustainable economic regeneration in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The vision for the East of England is to create a leading economy, founded on a world class knowledge base, creativity and enterprise to improve the quality of life for all who live and work here. For further information visit www.eeda.org.uk

About the Food and Drink Industry Strategy Benefiting from the inputs of many regional businesses, the Food and Drink Industry Strategy for the East of England provides a blueprint for the next 10-15 years of the sector�s development. It focuses on the more than 10 per cent of the region�s economy which is involved in the food supply chain.

Inputs from the Regional Skills and Competitiveness Partnership (RSCP) will complement active industry engagement in moving delivery forward.

The strategy�s key themes are built around areas such as innovation and new product development, skills, customer focus, global competitiveness and infrastructure. In essence it supports, and is closely linked to all aspects of, the Regional Economic Strategy, underlining the importance of the food and drink industry to the region at large.

About SSFS The Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy (SFFS) was developed by DEFRA to address issues raised by the Curry Commission in the wake of the Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in 2001. It sets out a series of measures designed to make the farming and food sector more responsive to the market, more sustainable in its production methods and better able to meet the challenges of the future.

For further press information on the awards or EEDA please contact: Lisa Davidson, press officer at EEDA, tel: 01223 200871, email: lisadavidson@eeda.org.uk