The government has hailed its appointment of senior figures including Greggs CEO Roisin Currie and WWF UK CEO Tanya Steele to beef up its food strategy.
Currie and Steele are among a raft of prominent industry appointments brought into the Food Strategy Advisory Board (FSAB). These include former NFU president Peter Kendall, national director of Feeding Britain Andrew Forsey, and Barfoots group CEO Julian Marks.
The industry heavyweights are joined by senior civil servants Catherine Frances and Jaee Samant. Frances is director general, global, public health and emergencies at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), while Samant is director general of the business group at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The original FSAB board was unveiled in March last year and featured supermarket CEOs and prominent food manufacturers, but was criticised for its lack of environmental and farming representation, as well as too little cross-government involvement.
Daniel Zeichner, the minister spearheading the strategy, was sacked in the September reshuffle. The latest appointments come after a renewed drive by the ministerial team to kickstart the strategy, led by secretary of state Emma Reynolds and new farming minister Angela Eagle.
Last week The Grocer revealed supermarket and manufacturing chiefs met with Reynolds to urge the government for a more joined-up approach to its strategy, which they claimed had not had enough emphasis on growth or cross-government buy in.
A Defra spokesperson said: “The UK needs a healthy, affordable and sustainable food system fit for the 21st century.
“Our Food Strategy Advisory Board’s new members and cross-government representation will help make that vision a reality, working alongside the Farming & Food Partnership Board announced last month to grow the economy, feed the nation, and develop practical solutions together – now and in the future.”
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