A regional conference entitled ‘Growing our future food’ took place on November 13, to drive forward global issues around the security of food supply and examine what more can be done to safeguard food production in the future.

Organised by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), the conference had an eminent line-up of key players across the region, the UK and internationally. More than 150 delegates expected to attend from a wide range of interested communities, including the areas of food production, environment, research and development, and local government.

The purpose was to progress a series of debates, which EEDA initiated at this year’s East of England county shows with the region’s sustainable farming and food group on the need for long-term increases in food production.

The day focused on four major areas for action: promoting a supportive economic and commercial environment to encourage investment in sustainable food production; refocusing research and development efforts to promote much more rapid commercialisation of the UK’s world-class research base in the agri-food sector; enhancing skills and the recruitment of new entrants within the agriculture sector to provide a motivated, productive and dynamic workforce; and developing a clearer and stronger regional and national voice on the priorities for farming.

Richard Ellis, chair of EEDA and co-chair of the day’s series of in-depth seminars, said:

“From questions such as where future food supplies will come from, to identifying the factors that limit productivity and indeed whether increasing production will have adverse effects on the environment, the security of food supply is becoming a global issue and pressures on world food production will only increase in the future.

“From the perspective of regional business, two in every five business start-ups are in rural areas and the provision of social, economic and environmental facilities in rural areas is an essential part of their sustainable development.

“Because of this, and because EEDA leads on the rural affairs and agricultural agenda on behalf of all England’s regional development agencies, it is important that we in the East of England drive this debate forward.”

Richard Ellis was joined on the day by Sir Don Curry, chair of the Sustainable Food and Farming Group and Marie Francis, chair of the regional Sustainable Food and Farming Group as well as Lord Edward Iveagh, EEDA’s board member and lead on rural affairs.

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