Focus On Wales: 18 September

Focus On: Wales by Rob Brown (rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com)

Download the synopsis here

Publishing: 18 Sept 2021

Advertising deadline: 3 Sept 2021

Submissions deadline: 27 Aug 2021

The story

Do Welsh food & drink producers need a ‘Made in Wales’ brand to allow consumers to differentiate domestic produce from imports? Calls are growing for just that in the wake of the post-Brexit Australian Trade Deal, which could see Welsh producers undercut by cheaper beef and lamb imported from Down Under. So, what are the arguments for and against a Made in Wales brand? What impact will the Australian agreement – branded a ‘shoddily struck Tory deal’ by one Senedd member – have on the Welsh market? And what are Welsh producers doing to build their reputation in overseas markets?

Key themes

‘Brand Wales’: This feature will explore in detail how a Made in Wales brand could benefit domestic producers, drawing from examples in other parts of the world. Who is pushing for this brand and what practical steps need to be taken to ensure its success?

Imports and exports: Central to this feature will be an examination of the import/export balance in the Welsh food & drink market, how this is changing and the factors that are driving this change. What impact will post-Brexit trade deals have on this and how will they impact Welsh producers? With less than 10% of Welsh produce currently exported, what is being done to increase demand overseas? What kind of produce is being exported?

The environment: The Australian Trade Deal has been criticised as ‘environmentally illiterate’ because it could result in meat that has travelled 10,000 miles to Welsh retailers usurping domestic or Irish produce. Just how damaging would this be? Given the UN warning that humanity is facing a ‘code red’ on climate change, does this need to be rethought? And, more generally, what are Welsh food producers doing to reduce their environmental impact?

4 x innovations (400 words): we will profile four new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.