Leadsom launches Food Innovation Network to tackle problems of agri-food industry

Thousands of businesses will have expert help to revolutionise food production
Thousands of businesses will have expert help to revolutionise food production

Defra Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom has launched the Food Innovation Network (FIN) in Yorkshire this week.

FIN has been set up to tackle the problems of joining up and accessing the right information, research, skills, expertise and funding mechanisms – problems Ms Leadsom said are impeding innovation in UK agri-food and drink.

From prolonging shelf life to developing new sources of protein, more than 6,000 British food and drink companies can now take advantage of new technologies and expert advice at the touch of a button, helping revolutionise the production of their food.

Andrea Leadsom is pictured with NFU members and staff
Andrea Leadsom is pictured with NFU members and staff

Ambitious entrepreneurs will have unparalleled access to first-class facilities, said Ms Leadsom, such as test kitchens and laboratories to help them launch new products onto the market.

Businesses will be able to tap into expert online advice on complex issues such as intellectual property and developing new technology.

A network coordinator will be appointed to act as a ‘matchmaker’, joining up businesses with the expertise they need for any aspect of their business – from new packaging to waste management.

'Forward-looking industry'

Launching the network at Sand Hutton in York today, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: the UK's 'thriving' food and drink sector has helped make Britain 'more globally competitive through its incredible innovation.'

“The UK’s food and farming sector generates over £100 billion a year and employs one in eight people, with the food manufacturing sector bigger than cars and aerospace combined," Ms Leadsom said.

“From extending the shelf life of our food to increasing the amount of Vitamin D in our eggs, the Food Innovation Network will help make the sector as forward-looking as possible and push the boundaries of British food production.

NFU chief science and regulatory affairs adviser, Helen Ferrier, said: “This new network will build on the existing infrastructure for R&D knowledge exchange.

“The goal is to join up the supply chain from scientific research right through to the final product and it should make it easier for farmers to connect with scientific experts that can help address specific issues.

“This dialogue is essential to help ensure research is undertaken with practical applications in mind and should help encourage more on-farm take up of the latest techniques and practices.”