Food and Drink Federation joins Labour Party Conference

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has organised a series of fringe events at the 2010 Labour Party Conference in an attempt to highlight some of the core issues of Britain's food and drink Industry.

The conference, which opened on Sunday 26 September and runs until Wednesday 29 September, will feature "high profile" parliamentarians, industry representatives and stakeholders who will debate on subjects including the government's role in working collaboratively with the industry.

Speakers including Shadow Business Minister, Ian Lucas MP and Chi Onwurah MP, a member of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, will participate in a debate entitled 'A manufacturing led economic recovery: what is the government's role?'

This Wednesday's events will include "The role of UK manufacturing: is there still time to rebalance the economy?' from 12.30 – 14.00 at Pankhurst Room, Radisson Hotel. Speakers will include Chris Wermann, regional corporate affairs director Europe, Kellogg's and Julian Hunt, director of communications, FDF (chair).

Also on Wednesday will be 'Whose food is it anyway?' which runs from 13.00 – 14.00 at Central 7, Manchester Central, where speakers will include Kate Green MP and Barbara Gallani, director of food safety and science, FDF.

FDF says the UK's food and drink manufacturing sector directly employs 440,000 people, generates £73bn of turnover and value added of £21.6bn and accounts for 15% of manufacturing output, making it a sector crucial to Britain's economic recovery.

Hunt said: "Through these events, we hope to deliver our key messages about the importance of the food and drink industry and the need for it to be positioned at the heart of the new government's economic thinking."

For more information call: 020 7450 7132/31/40.

Words: Georgiana Ndlovu

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