LEADING INDUSTRY EXPERTS URGE TODAY’S STUDENTS TO MAKE EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS TO FOOD CHOICES IN ORDER TO SAVE THE PLANET

Leading industry experts urge today’s students to make emotional connections to food choices in order to save the planet. The 2023 Future Generation Forum, City Food & Drink Lecture May 2023.

Despite the backdrop of continued challenging times in the food & drink industry, the City Food & Drink Lectures panel and leading food company ABP spoke of the abundance of opportunities in pursuing any career in the journey from farm to fork, but to never lose sight of the ever-increasing demand of consumers for an authentic relationship with both manufacturers and producers of today’s food and drink options available.

From both a presentation and Q&A forum, this year’s Future Generation Forum unravelled some of the grittier challenges facing the industry now and in the future as the 80+ students in attendance embark on the start of their careers in the sector. The issues highlighted included:

• The role & the need for more responsibility from the major supermarkets when providing the right food and drink choices on our shelves
• How it’s not just down to choice for consumers, as ethics, cost, the environment, marketing persuasion, rising health awareness and education all play a part
• The need for consumers to make the emotional connection to food and its impact, in order to make necessary changes
• The need to be creative about new solutions when it comes to climate

These key points were raised by the main event’s keynote speaker Sir Charles Godfray, director of the Oxford Martin School alongside his panel members: Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Founder of The Black Farmer, Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Rights and Food Policy at Which?, Sophie Lawrence, Stewardship and Engagement Lead at Rathbone Greenbank Investments, and was chaired by Charlotte Smith, presenter on BBC1’s Countryfile and on Radio 4’s Farming Today.

Furthermore, students heard from ABP and its key team members across a number of roles and career stages including graduate agriculture manager to master butcher to head of NPD. The business cited sustainability as its immediate business focus and described the balance between focusing on what’s best for the environment, securing an efficient supply chain and meeting the consumers’ desire to try new high quality food products on their plates and showcased how every employee at ABP has a key part to play in this quest whatever the role within the business.

​​Mandy Thompson, HR Talent Manager for ABP UK says:

“All of us at ABP are delighted to show our continued support to the City Food & Drink Lecture and extend awareness of our ‘Find your place in food’ campaign. The food industry is an innovative and engaging place to build a career and we’re passionate about bringing in the next generation of talent.”

Claire White, Senior Veterinary Adviser at NFU and FGF organiser says:

‘I was delighted with the fantastic presentation from our Gold Plus Sponsors ABP – their speakers were so engaging and really brought to life how they ‘found their future in food’, which was so useful for the FGF attendees to hear. We also had a really interesting session from the McDonalds Progressive Young Farmer program and a rather lively Q&A session with the panellists, chair and keynote speaker, which everyone enjoyed! It was great to see how engaged the FGF attendees were in the sessions and in the main lecture’

The Future Generation Forum is a key part of the City Food & Drink lecture each year and takes place ahead of the lecture itself where the students are given access to the keynote speaker and leading industry players for one on one time ahead of the evening’s main event.

A key part of the mission statement from the eight livery companies* behind the City Food & Drink Lecture, some of which date back to over 800 years, is to help encourage the students of the future to enjoy a rewarding career in the food and drink industry and this forum is a key part in driving aspiration and ambition to pursue a dynamic career in the sector. The students come from a number of higher and further education institutions from across the UK, who are either studying for a degree or working as apprentices in both food and drink businesses.

John Giles, Chairman of the City Food & Drink Lecture says:

“We are pleased to run the student engagement programme for so many reasons. It is such an important part of the City Food & Drink Lecture as we are hugely passionate about inspiring the young to enter our industry sector and play a key part in the future workforce in food and drink.”