AHDB, Gafta, IGC and IGTC have come together to organise London Grains Week, along with support from DEFRA. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a shift in how we do business across the world, and we plan to go ahead on a virtual basis with a series of high-level virtual meetings, education sessions and networking opportunities during the week of 8 – 12 June 2020.

The grain, feed, oilseeds, rice and agri bulk trade is crucial in achieving affordable nutrition and food security by ensuring the continued movement of commodities from areas of surplus to those of deficit and continuing international cooperation remains paramount for the whole sector. Virtual information sharing is especially important in these challenging times and London Grains Week will be an important opportunity to meet with colleagues and partners to cover timely issues such as digitalisation, enhancing globalisation, climate change and trade finance.

We remain committed to face-to-face meetings and planning for this will be revived as soon as it is safe to do so. By their coordinated actions, Gafta, IGC and IGTC, work to ensure a smooth market transparency, promotion of good business practices and strive towards free international trade. Working with several others, Gafta, IGTC and IGC are putting some provisional plans in place for a series of meetings in Singapore 2 – 6 November 2020.

We thank all the operators within the grains, oilseeds, rice and agri bulk value chain for their continued efforts and innovations that are maintaining essential infrastructure, including access to food and healthcare and look forward to seeing everyone together, safe and well, as soon as possible.