City Food Lecture confirms Arla Foods MD as keynote speaker

The City Food Lecture has always prided itself in tackling the very latest key industry matters within both the lecture and panel debate that follows, and this year no different as it sets to address the key issues that will impact on the future of UK and international agriculture and food. 

Ash Amirahmadi, managing director of Arla Foods says: “I am honoured to be part of the City Food Lecture. It’s an incredibly well thought of event and one that I have admired for years. Having worked in the industry for over 20 years and having a passion for agriculture, food and sustainability, I look forward to sharing my thoughts and views on the future of the food industry and the challenge and opportunity of delivering sustainable diets for generations to come.” 

From its start, back in 2001, the invitation-only event, City Food Lecture, has always enjoyed a high calibre attendance of 600 plus. Ash also joins the long list of well known speakers for the City Food Lecture, including  Mel Smith,Ocado.com CEO, Dave Lewis, Tesco CEO, Dominic Blakemore, group chief executive of Compass Group, Louise Fresco, the president of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Paul Polman, director and chief executive officer, Unilever.

The event is organised by the seven City of London Livery companies involved in agriculture and food: the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Famers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers and Poulters. Not only does it bring together industry leaders, academics and liverymen and women, the City Food Lecture champions our future leaders in industry, with its Future Generation Forum for university students.

John Giles, the Chair of the City Food Lecture comments: “The event in February 2022 will be an extra special one for the City Food Lecture – it is our 21^st birthday! We are, of course, delighted that Ash Amirahmadi from Arla Foods is our Keynote Speaker for the occasion and has agreed to join us. 

“Arla Foods is one of the biggest dairy companies in the world, with an annual turnover of some €10 billion. As a cooperatively owned business, they have some 9,200 farmers in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the UK. The UK is their single biggest market, where they have over 2,000 farmer members. They are also highly active in the Middle East, West Africa, the US, China and SE Asia. 

“Arla has a very strong commitment to the sustainability of how their products are produced. They are involved in many product areas, ranging from liquid milk to branded consumer products and functional food ingredients. Ash has featured regularly on television and other forms of media in the recent 18 months commenting on  both Brexit and the Covid pandemic. I am sure his lecture will be both interesting and informative and will stimulate discussion and debate.

“We are greatly looking forward to hearing what Ash has to say to us, our livery guests, sponsors and other who attend this event at the Guildhall. It should be a fascinating and enjoyable evening.”