The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2019 - Issue 65 | Page 10

10 FARM NEWS
OCT/NOV 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
EXPORT SUCCESS
CELEBRATED
Every year, around £3 billion worth of red
meat, potatoes, dairy and cereal and oilseeds
products are exported around the world –
and there’s more opportunities to be had.
THAT’S according to AHDB’s International
Market Development Director Dr Phil
Hadley, who last night told more than 300
guests in Germany that work was ongoing
to gain access to key export markets and
build on these impressive figures.
Dr Hadley made his comments at the
prestigious AHDB British Meat Dinner in
Cologne, where buyers, influencers and
exporters from around the globe came
together to sample the very best in British
meat and dairy.
He said: “Our exports are enjoying a
strong period of growth, particularly red
meat. In the first seven months of this year,
red meat exports were worth £854 million
– great news, not just for the UK economy,
but for our producers and processors.
“Lately, successes have included gaining
market access for our beef, lamb and pork
in more new markets, most recently Japan
which, after more than 20 years, has put UK
beef and lamb back on the menu.
“We have also seen Taiwan open its doors
to pork, growth for lamb in the Middle East
and in just the last few months, China sign a
protocol agreement for our beef.
“These are challenging times and we
know that trade is volatile which is why we
must work collaboratively with government
and industry to make the most of any
opportunities.”
www.ahdb.org.uk
Ten years to a
farming future that
works for climate,
nature and health
15 October 2019, saw the
first annual lecture in
memory of environmental
campaigner Peter Melchett,
organised by the Soil
Association at the Wellcome
Collection in London.
Lord Peter Melchett was
Policy Director at the Soil
Association for 17 years and
a celebrated campaigner
and organic farmer.
The lecture, Ten years to a
farming future that works for
climate, nature and health,
covered issues that Peter
cared deeply about and
was delivered by Professor
Dave Goulson, Professor of
Biology at Sussex University
and Sébastien Treyer,
Executive Director of IDDRI,
an independent French
policy research institute.
Speakers discussed the
impacts of agricultural
intensification and pesti-
cides on biodiversity and
land degradation, and
the need to produce food
in ways that can restore
nature and improve resil-
ience in the face of climate
change.
Joanna Lewis, Policy and
Strategy Director at the Soil
Association said: “We can
feed the world a healthy
diet using nature-friendly
farming, and there is no
alternative if we are not
to erode the ecological
foundations of farming and
of life itself. That’s what
we heard last night at the
lecture held in memory of
the much-loved and much-
missed Peter Melchett.”
The event was attended
by over 100 people,
including policymak-
ers, MPs, NGO leaders,
landowners, investment
managers and philan-
thropists. It is hoped that
learnings from the event,
and IDDRI’s model for
a Ten-Year Transition to
Agroecology in Europe, will
help to shape and redefine
national food strategies
and agricultural policy.
The Ten years to a
farming future that
works for climate, nature
and health lecture was
the first in a series of
annual lectures that will
stimulate fresh thinking
on the causes Peter
Melchett cared about so
passionately.
UK Dairy campaign scoops international award
A UK dairy marketing campaign
was awarded the International
Milk Promotion Group Yves
Boutonnat Trophy at the World
Dairy Summit in Istanbul.
The ‘Department of Dairy
Related Scrumptious Affairs’
campaign, jointly funded by AHDB
and Dairy UK, was chosen from
a shortlist of three contenders,
including the French and Swiss, as
the best advertising campaign.
The campaign used humour
to remind people of their love of
dairy focusing on taste, enjoyment
and the moments that make life
better. Targeting 20 to 35-year-old
parents, the promotional activity
featured social media, on-demand
TV, digital outdoor billboards and
cinema advertising, and was seen
by 52.5 million people when it ran
earlier this year.
Stu Baker, AHDB senior mar-
keting manager said: “I take huge
delight knowing that the campaign
is not only helping to shift attitudes
towards dairy at home, but we’ve
also been recognised as the crème
de la crème on the world stage.”
Domestically, the campaign
helped to drive a fall in the
number of people cutting their
dairy consumption, reduced
intention to consume plant-
based substitutes and increased
the number of young parents
who were certain to buy dairy
products.
www.dairyUK.org