Speaking at the Food and Drink Federation’s annual reception at the Houses of Parliament, Zeichner set out his goals as a newly appointed Defra minister of state following Labour’s landslide general election victory earlier this month.
Zeichner was elected as the MP for Cambridge in 2015 and served as shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs between 2021 and 2024.
‘Food security is part of national security’
Addressing a crowd of figures from across the food manufacturing sector, Zeichner said that the new government recognised the F&B industry’s “incredible contribution” to the UK economy.
“[Food and drink] is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, employing more than 400,000 people and delivering £36bn in gross value added to our economy,” he told the attendees.
“In our manifesto we stated that food security is part of national security and I think that is a message which is universally acknowledged as being important. The industry’s efforts to produce nutritious and delicious products ensure that families across the country can have access to quality food. We know that despite the fact that food has been seen as cheap historically, there are still people struggling to afford it and we acknowledge that.”
Moving on, Zeichner said that Labour wanted to make the UK a “clean energy superpower” and was prepared to invest in “green energy solutions and sustainable supply chains”.
“We will try and create a zero waste economy,” he continued.
“We are absolutely focused on innovation and we have drawn up an industrial strategy centred on future growth. We want to remove the barriers to growth and we genuinely feel that together we can unlock the full potential of the technologies that are now available to us.”
‘Maximising the benefits of imports and exports’
Zeichner also said that the government would remove “unnecessary regulatory burdens” and hoped to close the skills gap by creating new training and education programmes.
“We understand that it has been a very challenging few years and that trade is a vital part of the food and drink sector,” he added.
“We want to maximise the benefits of imports and exports while ensuring that UK produce can compete on the international scale. And finally, we are ready to partner with the food and drink industry and by working together we can ensure that the sector can continue to thrive.”
In other news, Wrexham-based Jones Village Bakery has been acquired by the Menissez Bakery Group for an undisclosed fee.
