Grocery: the suppliers put their case

This paper by D R Hornby, President of the Food Manufacturers Federation, is based on the various issues which arose from the FMF conference in March. Firstly, it might be as well to ask what is meant by the title of the conference, ‘Food in the Balance’? Quite simply, in D R Hornby's view, it is the need to weigh up the many elements which go into running such a business from day to day, in order to reach a balance which is acceptable to a wide range of interests: the suppliers; the distributors of products; the Government; the employees; and the consumer. Not to mention the shareholders, who provide the funds needed in order to maintain and develop the fabric of the businesses, on which the future of the industry depends. Apart from the remarks made at the conference session, Mr Hornby also has something to say about the supplies of raw materials and packaging; about the pressures of competition in the markets in which food manufacturers operate; about industrial relations; and about the effects of Government intervention in their affairs.