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Voice
of the National Horticultural Forum In 2002 a Defra-commissioned review of horticultural R&D (chaired by Sir Colin Spedding) recommended that "an independent National Horticultural Forum (NHF) should be established to create and update an overview or vision of the horticultural industry. It will identify the major R&D needs and the important contributions that the industry could make to all its stakeholders, and to society generally". The Forum was set up in July 2002 by a Steering Group composed of senior representatives of the Institute of Horticulture, Horticultural Development Council, the Horticultural Trades Association, the National Farmers Union, the East Malling Trust for Horticultural Research, Horticulture Research International (now Warwick-HRI), the Royal Horticultural Society and The University of Reading. The Forum has the mission to provide a clear and consistent view of wider horticultural research and development issues and their context. It currently provides the only opportunity for the leading organisational bodies in the UK, outside Government, with interests in horticultural R&D to develop consensus viewpoints on key issues. The current Chairman of the NHF Steering Group is Dr Andrew Colquhoun. Susan Woodhead (E-mail: susanwoodhead@hotmail.com) is the NHF Senior Executive. The Institute of Horticulture is pleased to host reports prepared by or on behalf of the NHF on its website, but cannot take any responsibility for their content. |