A New Great British Potato Industry Organisation – GB Potatoes
GB Potatoes working group is a group of nine individuals who have been talking for the last year about how to safeguard the future of the industry. “We don’t have “the answer” (and it’s not our place to) but we do have the beginning of a proposal, and we are trying to facilitate the conversation to get things started.”
The industry needs a “respected voice” that can speak to Defra, devolved governments, media and assurance bodies in a way that no individual business or trade body can.
Mission - Bring the whole GB potato industry together and work with existing trade associations and industry bodies as a collective group to promote our sector’s interests.
The Working Group for GB Potatoes has striven to bring the industry together to explore and develop what the industry needs following the levy payer ballots in Potatoes and Horticulture. The focus for this new organisation will be the GB potato crop but, importantly, it will maintain strong links with the Horticulture sector. Their approach brings cross industry stakeholders together through a voluntary subscription on a membership basis.
The vision involves bringing all aspects of the GB Potato Supply Chain together – growers, packers, processors, seed supply, research organisations, independent advisors, trade associations and service providers etc to both contribute and benefit from voluntary cross-industry collaboration. The group proposes an “over-arching” structure that provides true all sector representation with good governance and accountability. We propose that a cross industry “Governing Body” will oversee this.
Mark Taylor, Inaugural Chair of GB Potatoes said, “Our launch couldn’t come at a more important time for the GB Potato Industry. Working as a collective group must be the way forward if we are to both understand, and then work through the current turbulent times. Whilst recognising different views from across the industry, I strongly encourage everyone to engage and get involved. The Great British Potato needs to be championed!”
MorePeople are proud to support and promote the organisation.
Getting things started and becoming a member…
GB Potatoes will be funded via a voluntary membership subscription, the immediate priority is to hear from the industry and understand the level of support for the concept of GB Potatoes. To get in touch and find out more, email info@gb-potatoes.co.uk, visit the website or fill in this form.
