Future of the UK Food System 2026: “All stakeholders need to step up”
23 October 2026A summary of IGD’s Future of the UK Food System 2026 conference, capturing the key discussions, insights and calls for collective action.
On 21 October, leaders from across industry, government, civil society and academia gathered at IGD’s Future of the UK Food System 2026 conference to explore how the food and drink industry can achieve economic growth, while strengthening resilience and security, improving sustainability and health outcomes, and delivering positive social impact.
Turning ambition into action
Throughout the conference, speakers highlighted that the food system does not lack ambition or understanding of the challenges ahead. The priority now is translating that ambition into progress. This was clearly set out by the day’s first speakers:
“We have a Prime Minister who is linking national security with food security… [but] Government can’t do it alone. All stakeholders need to step up. It’s time to align and move forward together.”
— Simon Roberts CBE, Sainsbury’s CEO and President of IGD
“We have all the information we need. We have all the evidence we need. We have the opportunity now to deliver together… Less talk of what needs to happen, more of how we’re going to make it happen.”
— Sarah Bradbury, CEO, IGD
Delivering the Good Food Cycle
The first main stage discussion focused on the outcomes at the heart of the Good Food Cycle, featuring senior leaders from The Food Foundation, Greggs, Greencore, Sofina Foods, and Tesco.
While the discussion brought diverse perspectives, there was broad agreement that growth, resilience, health and sustainability can no longer be viewed in isolation, and action is urgently needed. Panellists were also united in calling for mandatory reporting of healthier food sales.
“We need to take our own action.”
— Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore
“It’s important that businesses show leadership.”
— Ash Amirahmadi OBE, CEO of Sofina Foods
“Incremental progress is what matters. We must not let perfect be the enemy of good.”
— Anna Taylor OBE, Executive Director of The Food Foundation
Unlocking growth in UK agriculture
Growth, resilience and food security remained central themes during a session examining the future of UK agriculture.
The discussion brought together leaders from across farming, manufacturing and food production to explore how productivity, innovation and investment can strengthen domestic food production while improving long-term competitiveness.
Panellists highlighted the importance of creating the confidence needed for businesses to invest, while ensuring the sector remains resilient to future economic and environmental pressures.
“As an industry, we need to think differently. Challenges don’t respect the value chain or silos.”
— Tara McCarthy, Global Vice President of ESG, Alltech
Building the workforce of the future
Andrew Western MP, Minister for Employment, explored how government and industry can work together to help more young people enter and progress in work.
He highlighted the scale of both the opportunity and the challenge facing employers, with the UK food system supporting around 5 million jobs, while nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 are currently not in education, employment or training.
“[Youth unemployment] is a national cause we can all get behind. When government and business work together, they can make a real difference.”
— Andrew Western MP, Minister for Employment, DWP
Unlocking investment
Dr Clive Black, Vice Chair of Shore Capital, explored the role confidence, policy alignment and investment play in supporting long-term growth across the food system.
Arguing that growth, resilience and investment are increasingly interconnected, he highlighted the importance of creating the conditions that give businesses the confidence to invest for the future.
“The consensus is there has been enough talking. It’s time to do stuff.”
— Dr Clive Black, Vice Chair of Shore Capital
The role of food in health
Maha Tahiri, Founder and CEO of S2B Group, challenged delegates to reconsider the relationship between food, health and healthcare.
Highlighting that two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, she argued that progress has stalled despite decades of interventions. Tahiri then focused on the impact of GLP-1 medications on consumer behaviour and future demand, calling on the food industry to rise to the challenge.
“We’re the only ones who can change the food system. Stand for something in health before someone else decides for you.”
— Maha Tahiri, Founder and CEO of S2B Group
From food to health: redefining the industry's role
Maha Tahiri also joined a panel with Bas Padberg, Nutrition Director at Arla Foods, and Journalist Rose Stokes. Chaired by Tom Wakeman, Chief Insight Officer at IGD, the discussion explored what redefining the role of food in health means in practice, and how businesses can move beyond treating health as a compliance issue towards making it core strategy.
Panellists discussed the role of nutrition standards and healthier food sales in improving population health, how food businesses should respond to growing public expectations around health, advances in diagnostics and personalised nutrition, and increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable progress.
“[The food industry] can change the world. You just need to realise your power.”
— Rose Stokes, Journalist and Broadcaster
A ministerial perspective on the future food system
Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, set out the government's vision for a healthier, more resilient and more productive food system, and the crucial role industry can play in helping deliver it.
Her speech brought together many of the themes that had emerged throughout the day, from food security and agricultural resilience to health, employment and economic growth. Highlighting the importance of partnership between government and industry, she argued that improving health outcomes, strengthening resilience and supporting growth should not be viewed as competing priorities.
Dame Angela also highlighted the role of school meals in improving diets and helping tackle health inequalities, while also stressing that access to good food should not depend on where people live.
“I’m confident we can make the transformation… [But] we need to turn ambition into action at a local level.”
— Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Breakout tracks
Beyond the main stage, there were also four breakout sessions focused on practical action.
Driving commercial advantage through resilience and sustainability
Leo Rayman, CEO of EdenLab, started by challenging delegates to consider two possible futures: one characterised by recurring supply shocks, rising costs and increasing pressure on the food system, and another where innovation, investment and greater self-sufficiency help create a healthier and more prosperous nation.
After asking delegates if they believed the challenging future was more likely in the next 10 years, Leo observed that most raised their hands.
He was then joined by speakers from Co-op, The Compleat Food Group, EdenLab, 3Keel, and the Fairtrade Foundation. Their discussion highlighted the importance of data sharing, collaboration and long-term investment, while fair returns for producers were identified as a foundation of resilience.
“Commercial resilience and food system resilience are growing in importance, but the response is ad hoc and reactive.”
— Eleanor Harrison OBE, CEO of Fairtrade
Building and educating the workforce of the future
Leaders from Greencore, Samworth Brothers, Tesco, and Youth Employment UK highlighted the importance of meaningful workplace experiences, clear career pathways, and initiatives such as Feeding Britain’s Future.
“Businesses shouldn’t just be recruiting young talent; they should be showing young people what a future with them could look like.”
— Ellie Hopper, Graduate, Asda
The future of food for health
Speakers from the Department of Health and Social Care, Bramble Partners, and Feeding Britain highlighted the relationship between deprivation and rising obesity levels and healthy life expectancy inequalities, and the important roles of schools and community initiatives in supporting healthier outcomes.
“The industry needs to make the healthiest option the easiest option.”
— Andrew Forsey OBE, National Director, Feeding Britain
Supply chain transformation for efficiency and sustainability outcomes
A panel with Alliance Food Sourcing, Argos, Boston Consulting Group, Felix, and Brambles shared lessons from supply chain transformation programmes, highlighting how simplification, collaboration and innovation can improve efficiency, strengthen resilience and help reduce waste.
What next?
A successful Britain depends on a successful food system.
As IGD CEO Sarah Bradbury set out in her opening speech for the day, the focus must be on how industry, government, civil society and wider stakeholders can "compromise, collaborate and work differently together to make it happen."
This short film brings that ambition to life, capturing the shared purpose, urgency and optimism needed to build a successful food system together.