The EFM holds a congress every two years, bringing together flour millers from all over Europe.
Since 2014, when it was held in Edinburgh, UK Flour Millers has combined this event with our own Convention and AGM. With 2020’s meeting cancelled due to Covid, the recent congress, held in Venice, was the first for four years.
The programme was broad ranging, with Commission Deputy Director General Michael Scannell and US Wheat’s Ian Flagg discussing agricultural and market developments, especially in the light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This was also linked to soaring electricity prices by Alain Taccoen of Eurelectric, the association for European electricity producers.
The session provided ample demonstration of the importance of flour milling in the food chain, but also helped understanding of just how energy intensive the process of milling wheat can be.
Broader environmental issues were explored in an afternoon session looking at how to measure the environmental impact of farming and food manufacture; and the perspective of two businesses, Italy’s Barilla and Switzerland’s Meyerhans Muhlen, on how to measure and improve their own environmental performance and improve supply chains.
Combined with presentations from sponsors on their own innovations and the rise and fall of the Stucky Family, the owners of the biggest milling business in Italy before the first world war, it made for a wide ranging and thought-provoking event.
Many of the presentations are available from UK Flour Millers, just drop an email if you would like to receive them.
Comments