Catalogue description Records of the Empire and Colonial Marketing Boards

The creation of the Empire Marketing Board was the first organised attempt on a large scale to promote the marketing of empire produce with the assistance of government money and machinery. The Board was established in May 1926 by the Secretary of State for the Dominions, with himself as chairman and including representatives of the Colonial Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Department of Overseas Trade. It also included members, mostly from the dominions, of the Imperial Economic Committee, which had been established in 1925 and was already promoting trade in foodstuffs.

The board's aim was to encourage the marketing of empire products in Britain, but in 1930 the restriction to Britain was removed and it became responsible for generally fostering imperial trade. It began with the aid of an annual grant of £1 million, the Empire Marketing Fund. Much of its work was carried out through committees, and the bulk of the available funds were spent on research into agriculture and minerals. The other main activity was to provide publicity for empire products, including the making of films by the board's own film unit. It also provided the office services for the Imperial Economic Committee.

Economic stringency led to a severe reduction in the board's funds, and it was dissolved in 1933. Some of its functions, including the preparation of periodic market intelligence notes and world surveys of production and trade, and some of its staff were transferred to the Imperial Economic Committee. The board's film unit was transferred to the Post Office and later became the Crown Film Unit.