AIC at 20: Aiding Defra civil servants' understanding of how the grain trade operates
As AIC marks 20 years as the UK agri-supply industry’s leading trade association, we're looking back at some of its greatest achievements since it was founded in 2003.
Each week throughout 2023, we’ll explore a major achievement where AIC represented its Member businesses, promoted the benefits of modern commercial agriculture in the UK, and supported collaboration throughout the food chain.
This week, we explore how AIC has helped civil servants at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to gain a greater understanding of how the grain trading sector operates during EU Exit negotiations.
'Teach-ins'
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union in the 2017 referendum had a direct and significant impact on the commodity marketplace and the ability of UK grain to continue to access existing markets.
With a range of issues covering both tariff and non-tariff areas, there was a pressing need to make sure that those negotiating future trade agreements were fully equipped with a strong understanding of what would be of benefit, or disadvantage, to the UK's agri-supply industry.
To help, starting in 2018, AIC collaborated with the Grain Trade and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA) to co-ordinate and jointly host a series of "teach-ins" for Defra staff to bring newer team members at the Department up-to-date with some practical opportunities and challenges.
It was vital that UK officials had a clear and full understanding of both the industry position and the consequences of negotiating positions they were considering during the EU Exit negotiations.
It was crucial that AIC lobbied to maintain UK agri-supply business competitiveness - one of its guiding pillars to deliver for sustainability and contributing to the circular economy. AIC works to secure opportunities for UK agri-business to compete in local and global markets - find out more here.
Learn more about the Grain and Oilseeds sector by watching the video below.
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Visit the AIC at 20 webpage for more content like this.
Authors
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
Rose Riby
Rose Riby is Head of Combinable Crops and Seed. Having worked across these sectors for many years, she has a depth and breadth of experience in roles in grain trading, plant breeding and knowledge exchange at AHDB.