For the Big Norfolk Food Debate, specialists from a variety of fields took to the stage at the John Innes Centre, to deliberate on topics such as carbon footprints, food miles, food security and the corporate and social responsibility of food manufacturers.
More than 130 people attended the debate, posing questions and listening to panellists explain their individual positions on food issues.
The panel included Dr David Pencheon, a public health doctor and director for the NHS Sustainability Unit; Professor Chris Lamb, director of the John Innes Institute; Emma Marsden, cookery editor of Good Housekeeping magazine; Chris Coubrough, one of Norfolk’s celebrity chefs; John Shrophire, CEO of G’s marketing, a major salad and vegetable grower; and Sam Nundy, the senior buyer of East of England produce for Tesco.
Chairing the debate was Stephen Oldfield, partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Of particular note, Chris Coubrough led a well received discussion on fruits being transported from New Zealand to the UK. He explained that as supermarkets do not want to buy ripe kiwi fruits because they are more difficult to deal with, they are harvested before their sugar content is high enough for them to start ripening naturally, so they arrive with such a low sugar concentration that they were very unlikely to ever ripen properly for the enjoyment of British consumers.
Tim Papworth, a large Norfolk farmer, asked the panel how the public could be convinced that GM foods could be the best way forward to address global food shortages, and Prof Chris Lamb’s comments led to an interesting discussion highlighting the need for science to better communicate their actions and studies. There is a tension that has evolved from the ‘Frankenstein foods’ publicity, which needs to be balanced.
Dr David Pencheon was encouraged that the QEH hospital, Kings Lynn, was interested in sourcing more local produce, and discussed how the NHS needs to be setting a better example as such a large consumer of food, not just in its procurement of local food, but also looking at the energy intensity of the cook-chill foods which are often used. He spoke about the Cornish hospital who sourced virtually all of their food locally, and received consistently positive feedback from patients who were treated there.
Caroline Seaman, food and nutrition lead for NHS Norfolk, who organised the evening, said: “I’m delighted that we were able to bring together such a wide range of interested people in the audience to represent the many aspects of the food sector. Our team of panellists, who are all specialists in their own fields, presented their cases really well, and in some cases, very entertainingly. Stephen Oldfield was an excellent chair, and the team of helpers who volunteered their time for the event all contributed to make is an excellent event.
“It is clear from the feedback from last night, and the level of debate during the evening that there is a passion in Norfolk for food, not just about where it comes from, and how it is grown, but how and where it is sold to them, and what the future holds for us as a society in relation to food.”
Emma Marsden, cookery editor of Good Housekeeping, commented “I thought it was a fantastic chance for so many representatives of the food industry to get together and thrash out the hot topics surrounding today’s current economic climate.”
Michael Nutt, managing director of VisitNorwich, said: “The Bidwells Norwich & Norfolk Food Festival is all about the pleasure of enjoying great Norfolk food, the skills of local chefs and the delights of the Norwich area as a great food destination.
“But there is a serious side to food too and the Big Norfolk Food Debate explored many of the pressing food issues of the day. The questions and the liveliness of the debate reflected the keen interest of the audience who, like a growing number of people, recognise the importance of so many key food issues in our lives today. ”
