English Farming & Food Partnerships to restructure

English Farming & Food Partnerships, the organisation formed in 2003 to promote co-operation and collaboration between farmers and the food chain, is to significantly restructure.

EFFP was born out of the 2001 policy commission headed by Sir Don Curry into the future of farming and food, which identified a need for farming businesses to work more closely with each other and with food manufactures and processors.

Although its long-term future had always been to become less reliant on DEFRA support, the effects of economic recession and the forthcoming public sector spending review meant the organisation had to become fully self-supporting.

Subject to approval by its members at an extraordinary general meeting on 30 September, EFFP will divide itself into two separate entities with very different remits, although they will continue to work together from the firm’s London headquarters.

EFFP’s agri-food consultancy business will be rebranded – subtly – as European Food and Farming Partnerships, expanding its remit initially across the United Kingdom and then further afield. The organisation’s management team, including chief executive Sion Roberts, are to invest about £250,000 into the new business, which will operate entirely commercially.

Mr Roberts said EFFP would seek to develop commercial solutions for UK businesses based on successful European models. “The investment by the management demonstrates our belief that there is a real opportunity to develop and deliver new business solutions that enable farming and food organisation to work closer together to address the significant challenges facing the UK food industry over the next decade.”

Meanwhile, EFFP’s “core mission”, according to chairman Steve Ellwood, would continue to be served by a new, not-for-profit organisation called the Food & Farming Foundation.

“The EFFP board believes that our proposals provide a sustainable solution for the ongoing delivery of EFFP’s original mission to champion collaboration across the farming and food industry and are a positive response to the changing public sector environment,” Mr Ellwood said.

The Food and Farming Foundation, which Mr Ellwood will chair, would remain a “central point” for farmer-owned and farmer-controlled businesses, and would lobby government on behalf of the sector, he said. “Our membership is very keen for this work to continue, and initiatives like our directors’ forums will continue too.”

If the proposals were adopted by EFFP’s subscriber organisations, the Food & Farming Foundation would approach them in due course with a new membership proposal, Mr Ellwood said.

• EFFP’s annual conference, Food GB: Stepping up to the plate, will take place as advertised at the Plaisterers’ Hall, London, on 2 November. For more information click here