Dr Campbell served as Managing Director, and subsequently Chairman, of Moy Park from 1984 to 2008, having first joined the business in 1960.

Dr Campbell was instrumental to the foundation of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association and became the organisation’s first Chair in 1996.

Throughout his career spanning five decades, he was committed to the development of world class industries across Northern Ireland and engaged in non-executive roles for industry and charitable organisations including the Royal Agricultural Society, the Worshipful Company of Poulters, the Chartered Management Institute and more.

In 2006 he became the first ever patron for the Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland, in recognition of his commitment to the charity and its work.

Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) said: “Few individuals have made a bigger impact on the development of our industry than Dr Trefor Campbell. Trefor saw the potential of Northern Ireland food and drink to be a driver of economic growth locally and played a key role in the formation of NIFDA in 1996.

“Throughout his career, and even in his retirement, Trefor dedicated himself to the ongoing success of the sector and for the well-being of the wider community. He will be dearly missed. On behalf of all our NIFDA members and colleagues I want to pass on my condolences Trefor’s family and friends.”

Professor Ursula Lavery MBE, NIFDA Chair and Technical and R&D Director at Pilgrim’s Europe added: “I first worked with Trefor when I started out in my career at Moy Park in 1987. He was an inspiration for all of us within the business.

“Beyond championing growth for Northern Ireland food and drink, he was also a great ambassador for the industry and was committed to developing and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow, as is reflected by the NIFDA Educational Trust he launched. Across NIFDA and Pilgrim’s Europe, Trefor has left a strong legacy. Our thoughts are with Trefor’s family and wide circle of friends at this time.”

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The comments from Ursula Lavery MBE, Chair of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) come after industry leaders met with Andrew Muir MLA, Minister for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs.

“It was useful to meet with representatives from NIFDA, businesses making up our food and drink industry are significant employers in Northern Ireland,” said DAERA Minister Andrew Muir.

“I am committed to working with NIDFA and a wide range of members as we seek to grasp opportunities and navigate challenges together, working towards wider policy goal of sustainable productivity where resilience is embedded and our reputation for high quality food and drink protected.”

Professor Ursula Lavery MBE added: “NIFDA has always been of the view that Northern Ireland is best served by local ministers in a functioning Executive who can champion food and drink and the 113,000 jobs our industry supports locally.

“The restoration of the Stormont institutions earlier this year is an opportunity for a new era of collaboration between industry and government which will be key to addressing shared challenges and growing the local economy in the most sustainable way. We look forward to working with Minister Muir and the wider Executive team throughout this Assembly term and beyond.”

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Ursula is Technical and R&D Director at Pilgrim’s Europe, including Moy Park, and she takes over from immediate past Chair, George Mullan. She will hold the position for two years. Simon Fitzpatrick, Group Commercial Director at Coca-Cola HBC has been appointed as Vice Chair.

Speaking after her appointment, Professor Ursula Lavery MBE said: “The food and drink sector is one of the most important economic assets we have here in Northern Ireland. We are a £4.9 billion industry, representing 16% of the economy locally, exporting local food and drink globally.

“Across the wider supply chain we employ some 113,000 people, supporting local communities across the geographic spread of Northern Ireland.

“I am confident that with the right support, we can grow even further, and do so in the most sustainable way. As an industry we want to build on our reputation for sustainability and play our part in addressing carbon emissions. Across the sector, NIFDA members are introducing new processes and strategies to improve efficiency and move towards net zero.

“To further enhance sustainability and encourage innovation, we need investment. For too long food and drink firms here have faced a competitive disadvantage as the only jurisdiction on these islands without a government capital investment support scheme. We have been engaging with Ministers to encourage solutions that will level the playing field and equip our industry for further success.”

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In our February-March issue, NR champions the cream of the NI crop, continuously striving to meet consumer demand.

As consumers become increasingly more aware of the benefits of buying local produce, so has the focus of retailers on ensuring they have the best of Northern Irish and Irish produce on their shelves. The advantages are two-fold as it also encourages a further focus on sustainability.

The need for local has only been emphasised in the last number of years, with Brexit, covid, the Ukraine war and issues around the Red Sea shipping crisis changing how we view the supply of food and how we supply food.

Indeed, recent rises in potato prices in supermarkets represent wider issues in the supply chain, with fruit and vegetable shortages on shop shelves highlighting the difficulties with relying heavily on imported produce.

“What happened there has highlighted that the farther the field from the shelf, the more unpredictable the supply of it is. The closer the product is grown, the more reliability there will be for getting that product to the shelves,” Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, John McLenaghan explained to NR.

“There are of course other benefits to this such as cutting down distance and costs and improving sustainability. Vegetables grown here will have a higher nutrient density and value compared to those grown in bulk in a quicker period,” he added.

As Michael Bell, Executive Director of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) points out, for a region of our size, Northern Ireland punches well above its weight.

“Together with what I call the wider ‘eating ecosystem’ – farming, transport, cold stores, packaging, retail – we are a £4.9 billion industry, supporting 113,000 jobs. We feed 10 million people,” said Mr Bell.

“Over the past year, Northern Ireland food and drink companies have continued to grow and drive that success through what has been a challenging environment. Inflation, hyperinflation even, continued to be an issue throughout 2023. Prices of feed, fertiliser and energy remained high, driving the price of food at a rate that had not been seen for multiple generations.”

Northern Ireland is a hot bed of producers and manufacturers, who are only too keen to show off their wares to customers across the province – and in our latest issue we celebrate them all!

FIND THE FULL LOVE LOCAL FEATURE IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post From taste to traceability – the importance of supporting local first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Our NIFDA members are world renowned for quality, innovation, and commercial success – and we have the awards to prove it.

Together with what I call the wider ‘eating ecosystem’ – farming, transport, cold stores, packaging, retail – we are a £4.9 billion industry, supporting 113,000 jobs. We feed 10 million people. For a region of our size, that is impressive. We punch well above our weight.

Over the past year, Northern Ireland food and drink companies have continued to grow and drive that success through what has been a challenging environment. Inflation, hyperinflation even, continued to be an issue throughout 2023. Prices of feed, fertiliser and energy remained high, driving the price of food at a rate that had not been seen for multiple generations.

Sadly, while we are now seeing prices in some commodities begin to retreat, many of the factors driving inflation have not yet abated. The supply chain is still shouldering the bulk of this increased cost, but inflation is not going away any time soon.

FOOD INFLATION

In June the Groceries Code Adjudicator, Mark White, released the results of the GCA Groceries Sector Survey. Now in its 10th year, the survey gives suppliers the opportunity to share confidentially their experiences of negotiation over the past year. The survey unsurprisingly named inflation as a challenge, with over 90% of suppliers who responded to the survey requesting at least one cost price increase in the previous 12 months, but 28% of respondents reported either a refusal to consider a cost price increase from a retailer, or an unreasonable delay in reaching a decision on a request.

However, despite difficulties around inflation, the survey shows that suppliers think retailers have improved in their compliance to the Code and the average compliance score across the retailers was 92%.

Food inflation has been higher than at any point over the past decade, affecting businesses and consumers everywhere. Food and drink manufacturers have been doing their best to absorb these increased costs, but inevitably some price increases must be passed on, and industry continues to engage with retailers to ensure inflation is reasonably managed across the supply chain.

SUSTAINABILITY

The biggest long-term challenge we face as an industry, and as a society, is of course sustainability. Northern Ireland has set ambitious targets to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, and NIFDA members want to play their part in our collective journey to net zero. Food and drink companies in Northern Ireland are already implementing bold strategies to help move the sector towards that goal, both on farm and the factory floor.

Much of this work was highlighted in our ‘Balancing Act’ Sustainability Report, produced by KPMG Ireland earlier this year. As well as providing case studies of sustainability projects from local food and drink companies, the report focuses on the results of a sector-wide survey of NIFDA members on these issues and highlights the progress that still needs to be made.

The report highlights gains that have been made to date and demonstrates how NIFDA members are taking action, with 83% of firms having dedicated teams in place to lead on sustainability. Case studies show initiatives food and drink manufacturers are taking – from scaling up resourcing and expertise, investing in renewable energy and setting science-based targets, to innovations in food labelling, sustainable intensification and nature protection.

INVESTMENT NEEDED

However significant challenges remain, if we are to achieve the emissions reductions goals as set out in the NI Climate Act. Key obstacles to progress outlined in the report are the lack of capital investment support, and the overall political vacuum. 86% of NIFDA members surveyed do not think there is sufficient funding support to deliver on sustainability, while 77% believe clear policy direction would strengthen the industry’s response to environmental challenges.

Hopefully the new year will bring with it a restored Northern Ireland Executive, and a political will to deliver both growth and sustainability for our industry. Key to unleashing this potential is a capital investment support scheme.

Many of the projects with the highest potential to improve productivity and sustainability require investment, yet Northern Ireland remains the only jurisdiction on these islands without such a capex scheme in place. In June the Irish Government announced a €32 million investment in the agri-food sector to ensure the delivery of 12 important capital projects in food processing plants across the Republic of Ireland.

‘The biggest long-term challenge we face as an industry, and as a society, is of course sustainability’

Since 2020, food manufacturers south of the border have benefitted from €100 million in funding from the Capital Investment Scheme for the Processing and Marketing of Agriculture Products. Under the scheme, 34 projects have been backed, unlocking a total of €420 million in public and private investment.

Industry has engaged with cabinet ministers to highlight the pressing need for a similar investment programme for Northern Ireland, but from our meetings with the Chancellor and Secretary of State, the UK Government sees this as a devolved issue. Without ministers in place, any progress on such a targeted investment programme on this side of the border has been stalled.

We want to work with the Department of the Economy to help deliver its 10x strategy, but to embrace the benefits of advanced manufacturing, new technologies and innovation, we need support. Targeted investment in food and drink processing is vital if we are to enhance sustainability, encourage further innovation, make efficiencies to limit the impact of inflation, and modernise the industry so it continues to be seen as an employer of choice by the young people who will be future leaders.

LOOKING AHEAD

Looking ahead to 2024, there is lots to look forward to. On 6^th February, supported by NIFDA and Invest NI, the UK Food and Drink Export Council (FDEC) will be hosting its first Northern Ireland event, aimed at NI food and drink businesses who want to boost their export capacity and reach. The FDEC is an important forum for industry, and gives us the opportunity to collaborate with government and industry partners from across the UK to learn from each other’s successes and share expertise.

The biggest event on the food and drink calendar for the coming year is the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards, which return on Friday 15^th March. The awards are firmly established as a key indicator of quality for food and drink manufacturers and give local companies of all sizes the opportunity to showcase their products to a judging panel including key customers. We are really looking forward to launching the awards and opening nominations in January, so watch this space.

GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

NIFDA will continue to engage with government at all levels over the next 12 months on the issues that affect our industry. Many of the challenges around Brexit, the NI Protocol and subsequently the Windsor Framework have now been worked through, and we will continue to liaise with government to ensure the implementation of the framework is as smooth as possible.

Work also continues on the deposit and return scheme, which is planned for 2025. It is important that policymakers learn the lessons from its implementation in Scotland, and our NIFDA plastics and packaging forum will continue its engagement to ensure any policy in this area is practical and workable.

There is no doubt that the coming year will have its challenges, and most of the market headwinds we faced as an industry in 2023 will still be there next year. But Northern Ireland food and drink is resilient, innovative, and tenacious. I am confident that those attributes will lead the industry to further success in the year to come. For our part at NIFDA, we will continue to give a voice to this great industry.

TO READ THE NIFDA ASSOCIATION REVIEW IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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