Scope, Purpose and Areas of Interest

Scope

Technical, regulatory and scientific issues related to primary production and the supply of safe, legal and quality food and drink raw materials that meet the needs of the food and feed chain.

Primary production in this context relates to the production of primary products as food and feed raw materials and includes, agriculture (crop production, livestock rearing and aquaculture) and post harvest operations (such as storage, transport and transformation processes) as these relate to the supply of food and drink raw materials.

Purpose

• To provide a forum for information exchange and discussion relating to issues, trends and knowledge gaps within primary production processes and technologies.
• To foster an understanding of what is new in agriculture and the food industry and how this relates to the production of food raw materials.
• To provide guidance to CCFRA and others on priority areas in primary production processes and technologies needing further study or elucidation.
• To review and mentor CCFRA projects relevant to primary products as food raw materials.

Areas of Interest

With regard to the production of crops (fruits and vegetables, cereals and broad acre food crops), livestock and aquaculture and thier products:

Production Practices, for example:

• Good and best practice, production standards and assured production.
• Sustainable production, including integrated farm management and low input systems.
• Environmental and social welfare issues as they relate to the production and market placing of food raw materials.
• Crop protection issues, including pesticide use.
• Supply and sourcing of raw materials of appropriate quality and quantity at proportionate cost.

Product safety issues, for example:

• An understanding of current and emerging hazards and risks, including pathogens and chemical contaminants and how to control at primary production level.
• Biosecurity.
• Implementation of food safety management systems, including the application of hazard analysis and control principles (HACCP)

Product quality issues, for example:

• The individual and interactive combinations of inputs and production processes on product quality, functionality and shelf-life.
• Physical, chemical and nutritional attributes.
• Product integrity and traceability, including implementation of management systems.

Consumer issues, for example:

• Recognition of consumer attitudes to agriculture and the links between primary production and food.
• Understanding market and supply chain demands and their impacts on primary production

Knowledge management, for example:

• Scientific, technical, market and regulatory issues related to food and environment.
• Interpretation, application and impact of UK and EU legislation.
• Input and access to training events and in particular agriculture related courses and seminars.
• Awareness of external expertise through special panel presentations and events.
• Access and input to good practice guidelines and other relevant publications.

Working Parties

The Panel has constituted the following Working Parties which look at more specific topics and issues in greater detail.

Cereal Varieties Working Party
The focus is on the breeding, agronomy and evaluation of cereal crop varieties, and their suitability for specific uses, and in particular wheat for milling and baking.

Crop Protection Working Party
The focus is on factors relating to crop protection measures in the production of primary products as food raw materials, with special reference to pesticide use and residue levels.

Horticultural Produce Working Party
The focus is on the factors that affect the safety, legality and quality of fruits and vegetables and their suitability for fresh and processing markets, including choice of variety, crop agronomy and post harvest handling technologies.