The future of food supply

How can we reimagine food supply chains to be more resilient?

NOTE: THIS WILL BE AN IN-PERSON DINNER MEETING in central london

In a world of crises and shocks, the dominant industrial food system in the UK is being tested. Centralised supply chains and a just-in-time model have become increasingly stretched during the pandemic, the situation in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis. There are growing risks of major supply chain bottlenecks, rapidly rising food costs and supply chain shocks.

There are calls for the UK to push for greater self-sufficiency, while the UK government is negotiating trade deals that some fear risk undercutting UK food and farming standards.

Surely it’s time for new, more flexible ways of supplying food?

At our next Business Forum dinner meeting, we’ll cover questions like:

• What contingencies should food businesses and the government have in place?
• How can we reimagine food supply chains so that they are more resilient?
• Is the rise of more localised food systems inevitable, and what are the barriers to sourcing locally?
• What solutions – tech or non-tech – might help build trust between producers and food citizens?

Speakers will be Josiah Meldrum (co-founder and director of Hodmedod’s, a food retail and production company specialising in British-grown pulses, grains and seeds) and Professor Moya Kneafsey (Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University; specialist in local, alternative and short food supply chains).

The meeting will give you an opportunity to rethink what supply chains can and should look like in a rapidly changing world and explore potential solutions with food business leaders.

This event is for Business Forum members and invited guests. To sign up to attend, please register using the Eventbrite link (password protected).