IGD Future of the UK Food System Conference

A rallying cry for urgent action and collective change

On 1 October 2025, IGD hosted its ‘Future of the UK Food System’ conference, a landmark event that brought together business leaders, policymakers, academics, and innovators to explore how the UK food system must evolve to be commercially successful, environmentally sustainable, and socially inclusive.

Set against a backdrop of climate risk, economic volatility, and shifting consumer expectations, the conference was more than a meeting of minds, it was a call to arms. The message was clear:

We have just 25 years to make the change the global food system needs. The time to act is now.

IGD’s role in the food system

IGD represents every part of the food system, from farm to fork, and acts as a strategic insight, foresight, and learning organisation powered by purpose. As an impartial charity, IGD reinvests all profits into initiatives that benefit society.

“Only by working together can we affect the shifts we need to future-proof our industry, which has a profound responsibility to nourish our community.” Sarah Bradbury, IGD CEO

Sarah opened the day by reinforcing that the food system is one of the most powerful forces for good, touching every part of our lives, our health, our economy, our environment, and our communities. Despite the pressures it faces, it holds immense potential for transformation.

Five strategic themes for urgent progress

The agenda was built around five themes that reflect the most pressing priorities for the food system, each demanding immediate attention:

• Good growth: unlocking innovation-led, sustainable growth.

• Population diet: supporting healthier, more accessible diets.

• Economic and environmental resilience: tackling climate risk and building adaptive systems

• Route to market: embracing technology and data to transform how food reaches consumers.

• Future workforce: developing the skills, diversity, and purpose needed for tomorrow’s industry.

“When the industry moves together, it moves forward together. And together, we can shape a food system that’s not just resilient and sustainable but thriving.” - Sarah Bradbury

Keynotes that set the tone

The main stage featured powerful contributions from influential leaders:

• Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s:

“We must leverage the power of partnership to unlock progress. The food system is too important to be left to chance.”

• Henry Dimbleby MBE, Founder of Bramble Partners:

“The food system is at a tipping point. We need to increase the good and push down the bad, and that means working together, not in silos.”

• Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England:

“Obesity is driving unsustainability of the NHS. The food industry needs to be more serious about obesity. “Air pollution was a success story of industry working with government. Lean in to the obesity problem and help government solve it."

• Jack Bobo, Executive Director, Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, UCLA:

“The story we tell about food is failing us. We only have 25 years to make a real difference, the time to act is now.”  He challenged the industry to communicate progress and connect with what consumers care about: “Things are good and getting better, but not fast enough.”

‘Fit for the future’ panel

A standout panel on building a future-fit food system featured: Gordon Gafa (Tesco); James Mayer (Danone); Dr Kelly Parsons (University of Cambridge); Andrew Selley (Bidcorp); Anna Taylor (The Food Foundation).

“We need a horticulture strategy to create a symphony of change.” Gordon Gafa

“Incremental progress is what matters. We must not let perfect be the enemy of good.” Anna Taylor

“Progress requires political prioritisation and government backing. That means legislation and bodies to orchestrate things.” Dr Kelly Parsons

“Free school meals are a great opportunity for the industry to introduce children to healthier food and support healthier diets at a time of rising obesity.” Andrew Selley

‘A blueprint for success: unlocking rural growth’ panel

This session identified the collective actions needed to unlock rural growth, covering topics like land use and government policy. The panel included: Graham McLean (IGD) as Chair; Dalton Philips (Greencore); Baroness Minette Batters (Defra); Richard Watson (Nestlé); Adam Couch (Cranswick).

“We’re at a fork in the road now. We must act or we’ll lose critical infrastructure. We need a 25-year roadmap from government to protect us from shocks and political changes.” Baroness Minette Batters

“A profitable food sector needs to be central to industrial strategy. Government has to lean in to supporting private sector.” Dalton Philips

“We need collaboration across the industry to raise standards and production for businesses of all sizes.” Richard Watson

“The UK is only 50% self-sufficient while many other countries generate surpluses. Look at the impacts of the Ukraine situation. We must be more self-sufficient.” Adam Couch

Breakout tracks: turning insight into action

1. Driving growth in the food system

• Nick Miles, IGD’s Director of Retail Insight, highlighted how AI and automation are enabling omnichannel experiences and personalisation, and the opportunities provided by population changes.

• Later, he was joined by SSP Group, Nomad Foods, and Vusion Group, who explored opportunities like accessible premiumisation, reformulation, and AI-powered retail.

• Toby Pickard, IGD’s Retail Futures Senior Partner, explained that retailers must accelerate progress in digitalising physical stores to create a ‘hyper-connected’ environment that provides unparalleled data and insights to drive efficiencies and profitability. Pickard shared exciting examples of tech innovations but added: “Nobody is bringing all the available tools together.”

• Speakers from Vusion Group and Tesco Media discussed how they are using technology to improve outcomes, such as digital screens to promote products and loyalty scheme data for personalised marketing.

2. Climate and resilience

• Sarah Bell, Independent Agrifood Adviser and farmer, shared how rising temperatures directly impact farming operations.

• Kirsty Saddler, IGD’s Director of Sustainability and Health Programmes, outlined four strategic actions for climate adaptation:

  • Risk modelling.

  • Supply chain analysis.

  • Long-term partnerships.

  • Helping consumers adapt to changing product availability.

• Matthew Stoughton-Harris, IGD’s Head of Resilience, added: “Resilience must include how food is accessed, not just how it’s supplied.”

• IGD and EY unveiled a new model quantifying the financial impact of climate risk across the UK food system, identifying where action is needed and where opportunities lie.

3. Reimagining waste

• A panel led by Nicola Robinson, IGD’s Director of Alliance Food Sourcing, featured leaders from M&S Food, 2 Sisters Food Group, The Felix Project, and FareShare.  They discussed how the Alliance Food Sourcing Initiative, inspired by the Coronation Food Project, is tackling food waste and insecurity, with 11 million people facing hunger in the UK.

• Catherine David (WRAP) explored circular economy models that redefine waste as a resource.

As the session closed, attendees were urged to leave not just with insights, but with intentions:

• Don’t worry about perfection and truly embrace the learnings of failure where it occurs.

• Avoidable waste and surplus and not doing enough on circular solutions is a risk to your organisation now.

• And so, step forward with action by doing one thing differently and then lean into others around you, in partnership and perhaps with AI & Data too, to unlock what else is needed.

Explore more and stay connected

This conference was a moment of momentum, but it’s just the beginning.

Visit igd.com to:

• Access insights and foresights discussed at the event.

• Explore IGD’s latest research, tools, and models.

• Discover how IGD is helping the industry move faster, refine strategy, and grow with confidence.

And subscribe to our newsletters so you can stay up to date with the latest news and updates from across the industry.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Let’s act now and shape the future of food, together.