The government must dedicate more resources in promoting British food abroad and securing new trade deals, according to the National Pig Association (NPA).
The NPA recently submitted its response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's 'Brand Britain' inquiry into the promotion and marketing of British food.
The response highlights the need for Defra to take more seriously the need to promote British food abroad, a key issue for the pig sector, which sees huge opportunities to the UK's export markets.
The response also highlights the need to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to negotiating new trade deals, and for existing trade partners to be reassured that British produce will remain amongst the highest standards in the world.
The NPA urges the government to be clear in its promotional activities about what foreign consumers demand.
The need to be aware of the diverse needs of different global markets was highlighted in a recent AHDB Horizon report on international consumer buying behaviour, which states that ‘brand Britain’ is not enough.
It stressed that British food must also be high quality, safe and affordable to those consumers in key export markets.
Finally, the NPA reminded the committee that an effective export strategy and brand is reliant on a high herd health status; any risk to this would see a loss in export market access, as well as in farm incomes and productivity.
The EFRA inquiry is looking into how effectively the UK Government is promoting and marketing British food and drink abroad and whether British food and drink has an identifiable ‘brand’ overseas.
It will explore the opportunities and challenges that exist in promoting and marketing British products abroad, particularly as we negotiate our future outside the EU.
