Turbo boosting food businesses wanting to do the right thing?

Turbo boosting food businesses wanting to do the right thing?

In-person Business Forum dinner meeting

In 2026, our Business Forum community is exploring ‘where commercial meets ethical: opportunities for ethical approaches in an unethical world’. In this autumn’s dinner meeting during the 20th year of our Business Forum, we will ask ‘What is needed to turbo boost food businesses wanting to do the right thing?’

Senior leaders from agri-food businesses across the UK will come together for a candid conversation under the Chatham House Rule, to explore the forces shaping the next decade of responsible business. Many people in companies want to do the right thing – pay fairly, protect nature, cut emissions and more – but too often the prevailing wind of short-term commercial pressures get in the way. We will ask what it would take to flip that script.

We will explore the practical conditions that allow ethics to thrive: investor expectations that reward stewardship; regulatory clarity that levels the playing field; procurement models that value resilience; and cultural leadership that empowers teams to act on their values. We will examine where commercial pressures genuinely hold back progress – and where they are used as convenient myths.

Expect challenge, honesty, and constructive provocation. Together, we will map the levers that could accelerate a fairer food future and identify the bold actions required from business, government, finance, and civil society to unlock them. This is a conversation for leaders ready to move from good intentions to systemic impact.

This in-person dinner meeting will provide an opportunity for participants to:

• Explore what ‘doing the right thing’ means and what gets in the way of it
• Review opportunities for influencing the future policy environment
• Consider what can still be done, individually and collectively, if further policy interventions are not commensurate with the scale of the challenge
• Connect with peers in an open conversation about what it takes to truly take an ethical approach to business

Speakers and how to register will be announced soon.

Note: this event is for members of our Business Forum. If you’re not a member and are interested in finding out more about how to become a member, please contact Dan via dan@foodethicscouncil.org.