Chris Sturman, chief executive officer of the Food Storage and Distribution Federation (FSDF) in the United Kingdom, will be among speakers addressing the impact of Brexit on the perishable logistics sector in London on March 29. Among others on the roster is Barbara Buczek, director of corporate development at the Port of Dover.
In announcing the timely event, which will take place at the Cavindish Hotel, the Cool Logistics seminar organizer commented: “We do not know exactly what Brexit will mean, but one thing is looking clear: its impact on perishable logistics will be substantial…it will affect everybody who does business in and with the UK – from vegetable producers in Scotland to food importers on the Continent.”
FSDF CEO Chris SturmanThe United Kingdom is a net importer of food, which is procured from mainland Europe and around the world. The food chain contributes £97 billion per year to the economy, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. On the export side, £12.8 billion of food and non-alcoholic drinks were shipped from Britain in 2014.
With the UK government expected to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March to set the wheels in motion for voluntary exit from the European Union, companies are now planning for possible scenarios to mitigate business risk and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
The daylong seminar is being organized to allow stakeholders of the perishable logistics industry to air thoughts and analyze how trade flows of frozen and fresh foodstuffs could change in the years to come.
More details about the Brexit talk, as well as the September 25-27 Cool Logistics Global Conference in Algeciras, Spain, are available by visiting www.coollogisticsglobal.com.
