The European Starch Industry Association, Starch Europe, has announced the kick-off of the "Beyond Starch" campaign. This six-week pan-European activity campaign, which coincides with Starch Europe’s 60th anniversary, will see actors of the starch industry hold a series of events and activities across Europe, to showcase the industry and its great diversity of ingredients, as well as its importance in the EU economy. The campaign will last until the end of November.
According to Starch Europe, a total of 30 events in 11 EU member states are currently scheduled, with the aim of helping customers, consumers, employees and other stakeholders alike learn more about this industry and its many ingredients.
These events along with a campaign website will include open days at certain starch plants, meetings, and tours for local and national stakeholders, educational events for schools as well as for employees, all to introduce the industry and educate them about the ingredients produced.
We are very excited to launch the Beyond Starch campaign today. It represents a great example of the industry’s desire to step up and play its role in informing and educating customers and consumers alike on our industry and ingredients, and of course is a great opportunity to showcase our innovative industry and its long and proud history, said Alain Dufait, President of Starch Europe.
Comprising of 28 EU starch producing companies, which together represent over 95 percent of the EU starch industry, and, in associate membership, 7 national starch industry associations, Starch Europe also published their Policy Priorities for 2019-2024.
Policy priorities for the new European Commission and Parliament include CAP, the Single Market, support to research and innovation, an international level playing field including with the UK, and science-based nutrition policy.
Firmly wishing to cement the European starch industry as a partner for the new European Parliament and Commission, and with an overall positive outlook for the times ahead, Starch Europe nonetheless points out a number of issues on which it hopes to work together with these institutions.
The EU starch industry undoubtedly faces some challenges in the times ahead, but overall our outlook remains positive. With the right policy environment, I believe we are uniquely positioned, as an industry, to make an even greater contribution to the EU economy in the future, said Alain Dufait.
