Feeding Britain’s Future
Help young people build skills and discover careers across the UK food system - Join Feeding Britain’s Future.
We need your help
Many young people leave education without the knowledge, confidence or skills they need to take their first step into work, and too few understand the breadth of career opportunities available across the sector.
Added to this, around one million young people are currently NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
A quiet crisis building
Employers are facing shortages in the skills needed to transform and future proof the UK food system. Read more about the full extent of the workforce challenges faced by our industry in our report A Quiet Crisis.
The food industry needs a collective effort to encourage and support young people to pursue opportunities in the sector.
Make three important commitments:
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1. Confirm your commitment via email
Email [email protected] by 1 May 2026 sharing your high-res logo (PNG or JPEG, minimum 200KB, ideally resized to 256x256 pixels) to join the movement.
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2. Become an ambassador
Use our draft email and LinkedIn post to ask five or more organisations across your value chain to commit to Feeding Britain's Future. Then, mobilise your colleagues to celebrate their roles in food and drink during the Mmmake Your Mark Campaign – more details to follow.
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3. Provide opportunities for young people with your business
Provide volunteers for IGD's nationwide school workshops. Provide work experience opportunities. We are piloting a new approach this year involving a series of flexible experiences – a few hours, a day, a project or a placement. We will work with you to clarify your commitment and how we can support.
Help create real, measurable impact for young people by making three clear and powerful commitments.
Our plan
Feeding Britain’s Future aims to tackle workforce challenges.
It brings employers, educators and communities together to unlock confidence and aspiration for young people while strengthening the resilience of the UK food system.
It is about creating opportunities that help young people build the essential confidence and employability skills and understanding of the industry, while helping employers to find and develop future talent.
Shared ambition
By 2030, we aim to build a confident, skilled, future‑ready workforce and position the sector as a modern, purpose‑driven career choice for young people.
This movement focuses on three pillars:
Attract – raising awareness among young people of the breadth of career opportunities in our sector
Develop – strengthening learning and skills development to grow the talent pipeline
Thrive – creating workplaces where everyone feels represented, supported and able to thrive
The call to industry
Together we will unlock confidence, aspiration and opportunity for every young person, and secure the future of a sector that touches every household, every day.
We will help young people build skills and discover opportunities across the food industry through:
School and early careers learning programmes
Work experience and university partnerships
Careers services and industry wide campaigns
We invite organisations across the UK food system to join a coordinated, sector wide effort. Every employer, large or small, has a role to play.