A group representing farmers, food businesses, trade bodies, NGOs and academics is urging Downing Street to take faster action to protect UK food production, create more resilient supply chains and shield households from the growing impact of climate shocks and their inflationary effects.
This call is in response to the Well Adapted UK report, released today (20 May) by the government’s Climate Change Committee, which concluded that the UK is simply not prepared for the climate risks it is already facing.
These risks will be all too familiar to manufacturers, who are increasingly feeling the squeeze from a more volatile climate, which in turn impacts the food system both at home and abroad, builds pressure on the farming sector, and inflates supply chain costs.
All of this combines to continually hit the average consumer’s household food budget – which is why the group is asking the government to make the stability of the food supply chain a matter of national security.
“Climate change is already reshaping the UK food system, with record-breaking heat, persistent flooding and water stress disrupting yields and driving up costs,” said Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD
“The challenges facing the sector are unprecedented and they will intensify in the years ahead.”
She continued: “The decisions made today across businesses, government, and consumers, will shape the UK food system’s resilience and success for the future.
“The UK was the first nation to set out a Net Zero Transition Plan for its food system, but the Climate Change Committee’s latest assessment highlights that immediate action is essential.”
Without stronger action, the group adds, the UK will remain exposed to more frequent and severe climate shocks, such as extreme heat and flooding, which will inevitably disrupt global supply chains.
They urge decision‑makers within government to create a national plan for food security – similar to the national plan for energy – which would see the implementation of policy, planning and investment fit for the scale of the challenge.
This can be achieved, the group says, by supporting farmers to shift to more climate‑resilient production systems, as well as unlocking private sector investment in the farming, water, cooling technologies, cold chain infrastructure and logistics needed to keep the food system moving in a hotter, wetter and more volatile climate.
The sector adds that it is ready to work with the government to face the growing problem, but that the scale and speed of climate risk demands a step‑change.
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, added: “Food and nutrition security is no less urgent than energy security.
“When this country faced an energy crisis, it legislated. Binding targets, long‑term frameworks, statutory duties – these are what turned aspiration into action. Our food system deserves the same treatment.”
