Food and Drink Sector Council Operations

The Food and Drink Sector Council represents the entire farm to fork food chain, covering farming, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and logistics. The agri-food chain is of national importance: it contributed £113 billion to national Gross Value Added in 2016. In 2018, the agri-food chain employed 3.5 million people, accounting for 13% of employment in Great Britain.

This joint government and industry group seeks to boost the UK's productivity, GVA and secure the UK's position as a global leader in affordable, safe, sustainable and high-quality food and drink. The council is attended by the Defra Secretary of State.

The Council meets four times a year to discuss priorities and the progress of its work streams: workforce, agricultural productivity, nutrition, packaging & waste, exports, innovation and logistics.

The establishment of the Food and Drink Sector Council is a government priority, as set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper. The objective of the modern Industrial Strategy is to improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth across the whole country. The Industrial Strategy will be central to driving the productivity agenda for the agri-food sector