In September CFA joined other major food associations (including the Provision Trade Federation, British Meat Processors Association, British Poultry Council, Cold Chain Federation, Federation of Wholesale Distributors, UK Flour Millers) in an open letter to the UK Government asking for urgent help for food businesses facing rising energy prices (in some instances four or fivefold increases to fuel bills) and multiple supply chain challenges.
Emphasising the food industry’s key part in the UK’s critical national infrastructure, vital to the economic and physical health and well-being of millions, the letter called for: help to lower the burden of energy prices; help with obtaining credit, insurance and other financial guarantees and support with input costs, labour and logistics. It also called for the maintenance of standards to give the level playing field needed when dealing with the international trade vital to food security and resilience, given climate change and other threats.
However, the letter is not exhaustive in its list of challenges currently facing CFA members. The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to disrupt commodities (CFA News #57) with the need for substitution requiring ongoing flexibility of labelling options. Crops have also been affected by the UK’s record-breaking summer temperatures adding to stresses on supply of fresh produce, other crops and animal feeds. Non-food supply chains are also being disrupted by these factors and lingering COVID-related systemic market, workforce and production system changes and Brexit’s impact on both the feasibility and cost of trading.
Wheat fields in Ukraine. Image:.Polina Rytova on unsplash
October 2022