Senior figures from across Wales’ food and drink industry will gather at Cardiff Metropolitan University today to explore how the country can strengthen food security, build more resilient supply chains and unlock greater economic value for Welsh producers and businesses.
The event, taking place on Monday 9 November at the university’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, will bring together representatives from industry, government, academia and business as part of the INFORM Wales Editorial Board programme, delivered by Business News Wales.
The two-hour discussion will examine how Wales can capitalise on its food and drink sector’s strengths while addressing the challenges facing producers, manufacturers and supply chains.
The session will focus on a central question: How can Wales strengthen food security and resilience while creating greater economic value for Welsh producers, processors, supply chains and communities?
The discussion comes as the industry faces pressures from rising costs, labour shortages, supply chain disruption and climate change, alongside opportunities to increase domestic production, expand food manufacturing and access new markets.
Among those taking part will be:
- Professor David Lloyd, Chair of the Food & Drink Wales Industry Board
- David Harries OBE, Head of FDF Cymru
- David Chapman, Executive Director of UKHospitality Cymru
- Tom Bajjada, Associate Director, Miller Research
- Alex James, Cywain Project Manager, Mentera
- Linda Grant, Managing Director, BIC Innovation
- Emily Hole, Head of Trade Policy Projects, Welsh Government
- Professor Peter Sykes, Head of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre
A central ambition of the session is to ensure that the practical experience of those working across the food and drink sector helps inform future decisions about investment, policy and business support.
Rather than focusing on prepared presentations, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences of the barriers to growth, opportunities for innovation and areas where greater collaboration could make a measurable difference.
Professor Peter Sykes, Head of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, said:
“Wales has a fantastic food and drink industry, with businesses demonstrating innovation, ambition and resilience every day. But if we want to support its future growth, we need to properly understand the challenges and opportunities from the perspective of the people working within it.
“Bringing industry leaders together provides an important opportunity to capture those insights, identify where support and investment can make the greatest difference, and ensure that the experience of Welsh businesses helps shape future priorities.
“At ZERO2FIVE, we recognise the importance of connecting industry expertise with research, innovation and practical business support. Discussions like this can help strengthen those connections and identify opportunities to create greater value across the Welsh food and drink sector.”
The editorial board will explore two connected priorities.
The first will examine how Wales can strengthen domestic food production, reduce vulnerabilities within supply chains and improve resilience to climate change, market volatility and rising costs. Participants will consider opportunities to increase local sourcing, improve collaboration and support Welsh producers in responding to changing market conditions.
The second will focus on growing the economic value of Welsh food and drink through investment in processing, manufacturing, innovation and skills. This will include examining how businesses can improve market access, expand production and retain more of the economic value generated by the sector within Wales.
The discussion will also seek to identify successful initiatives that could be scaled or replicated, alongside practical interventions that could strengthen business confidence and encourage investment.
The event forms part of the wider INFORM Wales initiative, developed by Business News Wales to bring together business leaders and industry specialists and turn their collective experience into evidence, insight and informed public discussion.
Mark Powney, Managing Director of Business News Wales, said:
“Our ambition with INFORM Wales is to put industry at the very heart of our editorial model. We want to listen to those who understand the opportunities and challenges first-hand, capture their collective knowledge and ensure those insights reach the people making decisions about the future of the Welsh economy.
“This is about moving beyond simply reporting what is happening in an industry. We want to create a platform where industry helps shape the conversation, identifies practical solutions and contributes directly to the evidence that informs future policy and investment.
“By working with Cardiff Metropolitan University and bringing together such an experienced group of leaders, we have an opportunity to develop a much clearer picture of what the Welsh food and drink sector needs to grow, innovate and succeed.”
The Food & Drink Editorial Board will take place at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Llandaff Campus on Monday 9 November, beginning at 10am.
The findings will contribute to the INFORM Wales programme’s ongoing work to connect industry expertise with business intelligence, editorial coverage and evidence-led discussions about Wales’ economic future.
