NAO urges faster progress on food system resilience

What’s happened? 

The National Audit Office (NAO), Parliament's independent public spending watchdog, has published a report examining whether Defra is taking effective action to improve the resilience of the UK's food supply chain. The report concludes that while progress has been made, preparedness has not kept pace with growing risks. It argues that government, industry and local partners will need to work more closely together to strengthen resilience in the years ahead. 

The NAO audits government departments and assesses whether public bodies are delivering value for money. 

Why does food system resilience matter? 

Food is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors and the UK food system faces a growing range of risks, from extreme weather and animal disease to cyber-attacks and energy disruption. The NAO notes that these risks are becoming more frequent, more interconnected and potentially more severe, creating greater pressure on government and industry to prepare for future shocks. 

Our latest assessment on the risks the food system faces can be read here: Thriving In A Volatile World.  

What progress has been made? 

The NAO acknowledges that Defra has significantly strengthened its focus on food system resilience in recent years. It welcomes the expansion of Defra's food resilience capability, the development of disruption response plans and growing understanding of risks across the food system. The report also recognises strong engagement with industry during recent disruptions and the increasing prominence of resilience within government food policy. 

Defra is seen as having broad engagement with food system stakeholders, but some gaps in engagement and knowledge remain. The NAO report calls for greater collaboration across government, industry, local authorities and communities to support system-wide preparedness. However, the NAO also recognises the cost implications of building resilience and the need to prioritise risk.   

Where the NAO sees gaps 

The report identifies several areas where preparedness remains incomplete: 

• Resilience ambitions remain unclear. Defra has identified resilience as a priority outcome within the Good Food Cycle but has not yet set out how success will be achieved or measured.  

• Emergency plans have not been sufficiently tested. The last national exercise testing a severe food supply disruption took place in 2023 and identified limitations in preparedness.  

• Industry involvement could be stronger. Food businesses told the NAO they have had limited involvement in the development and testing of emergency response plans.  

• Local preparedness varies. The report highlights concerns around the capability of Local Resilience Forums and a lack of clarity over their role during major food supply disruptions.  

• Government powers may be insufficient. The NAO notes that Defra may not currently have all the legal powers required to maintain food supply during a severe emergency. 

• No specific food supply chain assets are currently included in the government's database of Critical National Infrastructure assets. 

• Critical dependencies are not fully mapped. The report highlights limitations in the identification and monitoring of critical food supply chain assets and dependencies, making it harder to assess vulnerabilities across the system. 

What could this mean for the future? 

The report suggests that government may need to adopt a more active role in supporting food system resilience over the coming decade. Historically, responsibility has largely rested with industry, but growing risks from climate change, cyber threats and geopolitical disruption are increasing expectations that government, businesses and local partners will work together to strengthen preparedness. 

This can be seen in the development of the Good Food Cycle, sponsorship of the Farm Profitability Review, founding of the Farming & Food Partnership Board and other activities. These changes cover a wide range of matters connected to food, but it is clear that resilience is increasingly seen as urgent, reflecting recent events and developing trends. 

IGD opinion  

The NAO report is another reminder that food and nutrition security should be treated as a national security priority. 

The UK food system has demonstrated remarkable resilience through recent shocks including Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and periods of high food inflation. However, the risks facing the system are increasing in both frequency and severity. 

As highlighted in IGD’s Thriving in a Volatile World report strengthening resilience will require a clear long-term plan developed jointly by government and industry. This should include stronger domestic production, more resilient supply chains, improved emergency preparedness and greater support for households most exposed to disruption. 

The report is also encouraging because it reflects a growing recognition across government that food is a critical national asset. The challenge now is to translate that recognition into a clear programme of action.