About
Formation of FIG and the Food Industry Accord (FIA)
FIG arose out of the formation of the Food Industry Accord, to ensure the intent of this Accord was carried out. The Minister of Health, Hon. Annette King launched the accord at a function in parliament buildings in September 2004. The Accord was signed on behalf of a large number of food and beverage companies who not only acknowledged that obesity was a major issue in New Zealand but also wanted to find ways to contribute to the overall solution and be part of the public discussion on the issue. The drafting of the Accord in 2004 involved extensive consultation and debate with individual companies who agreed to be party to its objectives through their industry organisations.
To ensure the intent of the Food Industry Accord was carried out, The Food Industry Group was formed at the end of 2005 and became an incorporated society during 2006.
The framework of our 2007-2008 Strategy Action Plan is outlined under the Articles section and our members have a detailed copy of this to reference.
FIG is an agent and advocate for change. It will do all that it can to ensure change takes place. FIG can speak on behalf of industry but can not make specific comments on individual companies. Membership is voluntary and FIG's members believe in the principle of industry self regulation.
Our Mission
To do all that is possible to encourage all sectors of the food industry to create commercially successful products and services that will make a positive contribution to the health of New Zealanders.
Our Vision
Businesses working collaboratively to meet the challenge of obesity in New Zealand.
Membership
All members of the Food Industry Group are original signatories to the Accord.
They represent a broad spectrum of companies and organisations involved in manufacturing, marketing distributing and selling of food. They represent members of:
- The New Zealand Food and Grocery Council (NZFGC)
- The Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA)
- The Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand (CAANZ)
- The Television Broadcasting Council representing the media in general (NZTBC)
There are a number of food organisations who are not members of the Food Industry Group such as small take away outlets, dairies, cafes. However, through an association with organisations such as the PIE group and the CHIP group, FIG aims to also positively influence some of these food organisations.
Our beliefs
There is no question that obesity is an increasing problem in our society, especially within certain groups of the population. It is imperative that ways to prevent the problem are found and actioned.
Obesity is a complex issue with a number of factors involved:
- Eating habits and foods differ depending on cultural backgrounds. There is a different approach among groups in the population to body image (being large in some cases is seen as positive not negative) and there is often a lack of understanding around the results of being very overweight.
- Consumers have a number of factors to balance in their lives with food being just one of these. In lower socioeconomic areas poverty and other family stresses impact on what is eaten.
- Genetic predisposition within certain groups means obesity is more prevalent.
- Food needs to taste good otherwise people will not eat it. Fat, sugar and salt all help provide 'taste'.
- Food is all around us – in the cafe, at the mall, at the sports functions, at the church functions, at every occasion and on many street corners. "It is not what we are eating it is how we are eating."
- Lack of exercise is as much a part of the problem as eating too much food.
The Food Industry Group believes it is important to balance intervention with the rights of individual consumers to purchase and consume legal products. Consumer tastes and food preferences change over time and differ between different races and societies. Intervention should be based on helping individuals to make healthier choices for themselves, their families and whanau, depending on their own circumstances. It should be based on helping those most at need.
As part of the overall approach, encouraging manufacturers and retailers to provide, advertise and market healthy food choices that are tasty and commercially viable is paramount.
What must be remembered is that developing and changing processes for food industry can be a complex and expensive exercise. It takes time and above all, ensuring food still tastes good and is acceptable to the consumer is vital.
The Food Industry Group is already working in partnership with a number of non governmental organisations to find joint projects to work on which will help in obesity prevention.
The Food Industry Group is working in partnership with Counties Manukau District Health Board on a ten point plan which covers implementation of joint initiatives around preventing obesity in a high needs district.
The Food Industry Group is also working with the Ministry of Health and in developing our goals, has used as a foundation The Government’s Healthy Eating Health Action plan 2004 – 2010.