PFMA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
One of our most unusual and busiest years – we worked tirelessly to promote the interests of our members, maintain the excellent provision of quality pet food and its supply throughout a very tough year.
CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME
Greg Van Praagh, PFMA Chairman, Benyfit Natural
“In these unprecedented times we appreciate more than ever the valuable work of the PFMA in supporting its members, providing up to date information and leading on behalf of the industry. If ever we needed reminding of why we need a strong, unified trade association, it is now.”
JOHN WALGATE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GROVE PET FOODS
2020: Core Achievements
2020 was a year like no other for us all and the PFMA was extremely busy. Here we highlight our key achievements, falling within our four pillars of work. This activity progressed whilst the team also focused on managing Brexit and the repercussions of COVID-19.
Animal Welfare
- Continued sponsorship of APGAW – the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare.
- Conducted a ‘snapshot survey’ of pet acquisition during the pandemic in July 2020 resulting in coverage in Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph and across the trade press.
- Support for the Canine Feline Sector Group in developing a series of educational infographics for pet care during the pandemic.
- Participated in an Animal Welfare Round-Table set up by the Trade and Agriculture Commission.
- Ongoing support for National Pet Month.
Safety & Standards
- Throughout 2020, lobbying on the Agriculture Bill to ensure maintenance of high safety and animal welfare standards.
- Development of new world-leading certification scheme for raw pet food production (Early 2021).
- Launched new fact sheets on’ Good Pet Food Manufacturing Process’ and ‘Why choose a PFMA member’ – highlighting the high standards PFMA members subscribe to.
- Developed a film to celebrate PFMA’s 50th anniversary, which has been used widely on social media and on our website.
- Welcomed 15 new companies in to membership.
Pet Nutrition
- Co-organised the second Companion Animal Nutrition (CAN) Conference in collaboration with Northampton University, Feb 2020, with 150 attendees.
- Transformed the highly successful PFMA Pet Food and Nutrition Course into an online format, making it accessible to a wider range of pet professionals. The two-week long online course attracted 92 participants in July & October 2020 with more dates planned for 2021.
- Published new factsheets on, ‘Can all Wild birds eat the same food?’, ‘Dental Health in Dogs’, ‘Feeding Enrichment for Small Mammals’, and ‘Insect-based Ingredients in Pet Food’
- Collaborated with several educational establishments, such as the University of Glasgow and AHDA (Animal Health Distributors Association), to promote nutrition training for pet professionals.
Sustainability
- Developed the National Pet Food Strategy addressing the recommendations of the National Food Strategy, additionally putting forward recommendations on the future needs of the pet food market. (October) (image underneath of NPFS
- Cesponded to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) government consultation.
- Provided member webinars with Valpak to assist members with upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Legislation and Plastic Packaging Tax (March/April)
- Successfully hosted the PFMA Annual Convention – 50 Years and Beyond: Pets, People and Planet with an agenda focused on insightful and relevant sustainability topics across the industry. (include images from AC?)
- Launched the Pet Food Futures Steering Group with influential stakeholders in the pet food supply chain.
- Embarked on the first phase of a Sustainable Ingredients project, with experts 3Keel, to better understand the current environmental impact of pet food sold in the UK.
- FDF Associate Membership – continued engagement on activities in sustainability.
- Developed two factsheets ‘Insect-based ingredients in Pet Food’ and ‘Towards Circularity of Pet Food Packaging’.
- Delivered a presentation outlining PFMA’s sustainability activities at London Vet Show.
- Sustainability website pages including member’s case studies on Packaging Recyclability, Sustainable Ingredients, Animal Welfare and Environmental Impacts of Pet Food Manufacturing.
- (Add images from articles on sustainability)
2020: Brexit
It would be fair to say the PFMA has been preparing for Brexit ever since the referendum result. This was ramped up over the past couple of years while we were negotiating the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. We had a number of cliff edge moments, which we had to prepare our members for but in the end, we did reach an agreement with the EU.
This gave us a transitional period up to the end of 2020 to negotiate the future trading relationship, during which time we remained part of the single market and were subject to EU rules. Then we were suddenly hit by the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Whilst we lobbied successfully to allow pet shops to remain open, it was still a huge challenge for the sector. We had hoped that the government would recognise this challenge and extend the transition, they did not take this option.
In the end the EU-UK deal (EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement) was agreed very late in the day on Christmas Eve. This, combined with the second wave of COVID-19, gave already stretched government officials and businesses next to no time to fully digest and implement the agreement. We also had the Northern Ireland Protocol to deal with, which is extremely complex. This combination meant the start of the year was always going to be hugely challenging.
The team spearheaded by Michael and Lana were extremely busy working to keep members updated on Brexit twists and turns. A few key activities included:
- A toolkit for members, which is housed on our members only extranet. This has developed into a content rich but easily navigable site which guides members depending on where they are exporting to or importing from.
- Delivering a series of highly relevant events. This moved online after the initial COVID lockdown. A number of these included officials, mainly from Defra but also from other government departments such as HMRC.
- Working with our European trade association, FEDIAF, to ensure our colleagues in Europe are aware of the new rules when exporting to the UK. We also exchange information on the current situation on imports into the EU to assist our members when sending product to Europe.
- We are in constant dialogue with government officials to ensure they are aware of any challenges and to request they change guidance, rules etc, when needed.
- PFMA is part of a wider Food and Drink Industry Round Table which meet regularly to share intelligence and lobby collectively to Government Ministers and officials on a broad range of issues.
It will be some time before the dust settles. We can then see what are just ‘teething problems’ with new systems, and what will remain as long-term barriers to trade. This trade deal will impact all our members for many years to come, and while our focus in the short term is assisting members to continue to trade with our biggest partner, we will also be focusing on helping to open new markets beyond Europe.
2020: Covid-19
In response to the pandemic, the team continued to keep members updated and lobby on their behalf for key retailers and supply chains to remain open and functioning.
Following a survey of our members in May 2020, we had a clear picture of the impact of Covid-19 on the pet food industry to this point. Initially, sales in pet food peaked. People were stock piling other essential items, and this was extended to pet food. This was followed by a small trough as people only needed a certain amount of food. PFMA members rose to the challenge and were able to meet the demand ensuring a smooth supply of pet food.
An unexpected consequence of COVID-19 has been a boom in new pet owners. Many people found themselves in the position of being able to have a pet for the first time due to home working or furlough. Families with younger children saw pet ownership as a way to occupy and provide additional life lessons whilst home schooling.
Currently the world is recalibrating, and it is too early to say what longer term impact the pandemic will have. We know that certain trends such as digital transformation, increased online shopping are likely to have been accelerated. As there will be many first time pet owners out there and pets acquired in highly unusual times, PFMA and the welfare sector will be working to support owners with education resources.
Activity that made a difference is highlighted below:
March 2020 onwards:
- Developed COVID-19 Hub for members & ran weekly ‘stay up to date’ briefing webinars.
- Led a cross industry campaign for pet shops to remain open through Lockdown.
- Supported the Horticultural Trades Association campaign for garden centres to reopen as soon as it was safely possible.
- Published blogs and position papers to keep members and stakeholders informed about COVID-19 and pets, at different stages of the pandemic.
- Consulted with retailers and members to understand impact of the pandemic across the pet food supply chain.
- PFMA and members of the Canine Feline Sector Group came together to provide clear guidance to owners on how to look after their pets during the current COVID-19 crisis.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
PFMA is dedicated to representing its members and promotes the responsible manufacture of quality, nutritious pet food products.
With the widespread disruption of COVID-19 and Brexit, members recognised the importance of membership more than ever, with the information and advice we can offer at times of such uncertainty. We also recognised those who were not currently members and were reaching out to join and access this invaluable information and the further services and benefits of membership.
PFMA launched a successful recruitment drive during the summer which highlighted the work which PFMA does for the industry. During 2020 we welcomed 15 new member companies across varying sectors into membership, it is great to have so many new members onboard and contributing within Committees and Working Groups.
As always, this work is informed by the wider feedback from the membership and the outcomes of our annual member survey.
Reasons why members value the PFMA
%
of members rated effectiveness of PFMA as overarching industry representative
%
of members value PFMA for its Credibility
%
of members value PFMA for its Technical and Regulatory Support
%
of members value PFMA for its Lobbying Influence
%
of members value PFMA for its Committees & Working Groups
%
of members value PFMA for Brexit Preparedness
%
of members value PFMA for its COVID-19 Response
%
of members value PFMA for its Educational Material
%
of members value PFMA for its Online Resources and Engagement
In 2020, PFMA continued to support members in these areas:
Resource & Rebrand taskforce –
ENSURING PFMA IS FUTURE FIT
In an ever-changing world, it is important that PFMA continues to be forward thinking and remains relevant for its membership. Throughout 2020, a dedicated Resource and Rebrand Task Force has focused on three areas:
1. Income streams
2. Self Regulation
3. Brand
Looking forward – 2021
Animal Welfare
- Continuing our active engagement in animal welfare forums such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) and the Canine Feline Sector Group (CFSG)
- Taking part in an APGAW working group to develop a Code for Rabbit Welfare
- ‘Pets and People, Caring for Each Other’ the National Pet Month campaign 2021 runs from 01 April – 03 May educating on responsible pet ownership whilst celebrating the bond between people and their pets
Pet Nutrition
- Promoting healthy feeding and weight management
- Educating our members and pet care professionals as we continue the PFMA nutrition course with new modules added
- Developing our range of factsheets on nutrition topics such as insect and plant based protein pet foods
Sustainability
- Communicating our progress on our environmental sustainability priorities of packaging & recyclability, sustainability of ingredients, animal welfare and the environmental impacts of pet food production
- Hosting a sustainability webinar for the pet food industry in autumn 2021
- Working with our partners at FDF and WRAP including the UK Plastic Pact
- Responding on policy consultations including the Environment Bill
- Building a communications toolkit on sustainability topics
Safety & Standards
- PFMA will launch a brand new, world leading certification scheme for commercial raw pet food production. The scheme coordinated by independent providers – KIWA, is designed to be an extra tool to support the safe production of raw pet food
- Promotion of best practice product communications across the pet food industry to ensure clear and helpful information for pet owners
- Lobbying to ensure our high safety and animal welfare standards are maintained as we continue our EU Exit journey
EU Exit
- PFMA will be raising awareness of industry’s priorities for post-Brexit trade negotiations
- Supporting the pet food industry as the new post Brexit regime embeds
- Looking for new trade opportunities for the industry
Membership
- Introducing Associate Membership categories
- Continuation of the recruitment efforts
- Focus on our digital strategy and transformation
- Continuation of our PFMA Fit for Future work
Pet Population Data
Every year, PFMA gathers Pet Food Market Data and commissions Pet Population Research. Here we have a snapshot of our findings from the annual survey of 5093 households. More detail can be viewed in the Statistics section of our website.
TOP TEN PETS
- 12 MILLION DOGS
- 12 MILLION CATS
- 1.3 MILLION INDOOR BIRDS
- 1.2 MILLION DOMESTIC FOWL
- 1 MILLION RABBITS
- 800,000 GUINEA PIGS
- 600,000 HAMSTERS
- 500,000 HORSES & PONIES
- 500,000 PIGEONS
- 400,000 TORTOISES & TURTLES
Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
- 5m INDOOR FISH TANKS (12% households)
- 4m OUTDOOR PONDS
IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC
Over the last year, PFMA has conducted two surveys. The first was conducted in August 2020, a ‘snapshot survey’ of 2555 households looking at pet acquisition. Similar questions were asked as in our nationwide survey released this March (sample of 2558 households). Both surveys confirm a shift in pet ownership with 11% of the UK or 3.2million households acquiring a pet since the start of the pandemic.
PFMA Pet Market Data
MISSION STATEMENT
PFMA aims to create a credible and responsible industry by placing pets at the centre of everything we do. While striving to achieve a balanced regulatory environment for the production of nutritious and safe food, PFMA also encourages responsible pet ownership, working in partnership with relevant pet bodies. It aims to be the main resource for its members, the public and others, as well as playing a lead role in forming opinions in Europe through the European Pet Food Federation (FEDIAF).
Our membership comprises of manufacturers of all sizes producing food for the range of pet species. In representing the interests of our members we focus on the following core pillars:
Animal Welfare
Nutrition
Safety & Standards
Sustainability
OUR TEAM
MICHAEL BELLINGHAM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
JOINED: 2004
NICOLE PALEY
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE (COMMUNICATIONS & ANIMAL WELFARE)
JOINED: 2003
SARAH HORMOZI
HEAD OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
JOINED: 2011
LANA MORGAN
HEAD OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS
JOINED: 2009
LAURA WATERS
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS MANAGER
JOINED: 2019
