The British Growers Association instructed Savills to produce a report on behalf of the UK’s 33 Producer Organisations to help secure the continuation of funding after Brexit for collaborative operations in the horticultural sector.
Working with the BGA's Chief Executive, we used a literature review and interviews with Producer Organisations to make a case for encouraging increased UK fruit and vegetable production from both health and import substitution perspectives. The report crucially demonstrated the important role that the EU’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme had played in the rapid expansion of crops such as strawberries by encouraging collaboration and innovation.
A workshop with POs was used to form a consensus view on which principles of the current scheme the POs wished to retain, and also proposals for improvement after Brexit. These ideas along with a demonstration of how the POs can and do deliver against the five principles of the government's vision for developing a world-leading AgriFood nation, were used to form a case for the Government to retain the schemes principles through the EU Withdrawal Bill process; and to highlight that the absence of an effective scheme would put British growers at a distinct disadvantage to their counterparts within the EU after Brexit.
The report was well received by important stakeholders in the sector, and was covered in key fresh produce industry publications. It was successfully used by the Producer Organisations to engage with the government, leading to the Health and Harmony consultation paper acknowledging the strength farms can achieve through cooperation and a proposal that the special status of POs should be maintained.