Leading companies in the fresh produce trade have put their weight behind both a new MBA course at the University of Lincoln as well as a new food industry forum.

The Executive MBA for Food & Related Industries has been established by the university to help food companies identify and develop talent in their ranks and has emerged from Lincoln's expertise in executive development at Lincoln Business School and food sector education and research at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing at Holbeach.

It is aimed at early and mid-career managers who have been identified as having strong potential. It will be delivered to cohorts on block release from employers, supplemented with an e-learning programme.

Phil Considine, senior lecturer at Lincoln Business School, said: "Part of our role as a university is to provide thought leadership and to facilitate knowledge exchange. The MBA is a great example of this - developing new leaders in the sector capable of delivering sustained competitive advantage built on the values of responsible futures."

The new course was launched on 19 October at the inaugural meeting of the Food Sector Knowledge Forum - a new group which aims to give senior industry figures a safe environment to debate challenges facing their businesses.Delegates included senior staff from food companies including Bakkavor, Produce World and QV Foods.

Under the topic Future-proofing your Business, discussions covered consumer behaviour, managing relationships between suppliers and retailers, rising commodity prices, public perception of GM crops and the spectre of climate change.

Professor Martin Hingley, professor of strategic marketing at Lincoln Business School, said: "The debate was extremely lively and insightful, covering a whole range of issues affecting the sector, from day-to-day operational problems to long-term global trends. The discussion was very candid and speakers did not pull any punches but there was also a strong note of optimism. The food sector has a long and proud record of rising to challenges."

Speakers included Brian Stein, CEO of Samworth Brothers, Andrew Fearne professor of food marketing & supply chain management at the University of Kent.

The keynote speech was delivered by Lord Haskins of Skidby, a cross-bench member of the House of Lords and founder and former chairman of Northern Foods. He said: "The alliance between government, business and science is a crucial one. Government can only do so much - its job is to create an environment for good research and good business practice to happen."

Topics