The importance of the county of Lincolnshire to the UK’s place in the global food industry will be the focus of an event at the University of Lincoln.

The free public talk is being organised by the University’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), a state-of-the-art hub of food manufacturing technology based at Holbeach in southern Lincolnshire.

The talk, Where does Lincolnshire fit into World Agriculture and Food, takes place between 6pm and 9pm on 30th October 2014 with keynote speaker John Giles, the Divisional Director of Promar International, an agri-food consultancy business, which is part of Genus plc.

The event is jointly organised with the English-Speaking Union, a global educational charity and membership organisation that aims to empower people of different languages and cultures.

Professor Braybrooks said: “We find the global food trade fascinating, and the National Centre for Food Manufacturing’s work reflects the global context of the agri-food sector as we help businesses compete and exploit export opportunities through innovation.

“John’s knowledge of this subject is exemplary and I am sure a public audience will be equally enthralled. We also welcome the opportunity to showcase to the public the important work that the NCFM undertakes.”

Mr Giles’ talk will examine the county’s role in the world agricultural and food sectors, as well as the agri-food sectors in the EU, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“The issues we face in the agri-food sector are challenging, exciting and complex,” said Mr Giles, who is the Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Food, Drink and Agriculture Group, and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.

“There is a huge amount of attention on agriculture and food at the moment, from governments around the world, from NGOs and from consumers; you only have to open the weekend supplements or switch on the TV to be bombarded with information about how food is being produced and consumed.

“The subject of food is so fundamental to what we do as a society that it’s something we all need to be as well informed about as possible. It’s important that we get an understanding of how demand and supply chains will look in a few years from now, which is what I’ll be discussing at the event.”

Guests arrive at the NCFM in Holbeach from 6pm, with a welcome address at 6.45pm by Steve Roberts from the ESU and Professor Val Braybrooks, Dean of Holbeach and the NCFM. This is followed by Mr Giles’ presentation, questions and discussion, and networking. Delegates will also have the opportunity to view the teaching and research facilities at NCFM.

To register for a place, call Sue Long at the NCFM on 01406 493000 or email ncfm@lincoln.ac.uk

Article created by Cerri Evans, PR Officer, University of Lincoln.