Food Futures - from business as usual to business unusual

The Food Futures report is a report assessing the farm to fork issues affecting the food chain over the next ten years to 2025. It highlights 15 topics and three major trends that are likely to shape and change the way the food chain operates and their implications for different supply chain partners; and suggests the practical measures that businesses and policy makers could take to realise the opportunities, and mitigate the risks presented in the report. Its objectives is to provide policy-makers, food and drink companies with the information they need to support and accelerate the move to a sustainable, resilient and resource-efficient food chain: re-inventing how we design, source, produce, sell and consume products; and maximising the value of waste materials and by-products in the food industry. Although the focus of the report is on the UK food chain much of the content of the report focuses on the UK's interaction with the wider international food system; and on opportunities and risks that are equally relevant to food chain partners elsewhere. All of the trends and most of the topics will therefore also be useful to those operating outside of the UK.

The report, which has been developed with leading figures in the food supply chain, includes: - The risks to the UK food system over the next 10 years if we don't embrace a business unusual approach to the way we manufacture, sell and consume food; - The huge wealth of opportunities that developing a Flexible, Intelligent and Transparent (FIT) supply chain will open to the sector; and - How a "business unusual" approach will enable the sector to respond flexibly to changes in demand and weather patterns, with a transparent supply chain that will limit food scares and scandals. The report recommends that policy makers and food & drink businesses: - Create supply chains FIT for the future - Invest in food chain data capabilities - Innovate & engage with consumers on Healthy Sustainable Diets It also presents a few potential actions for each to achieve these. Promote and raise awareness of the Food Futures report to stimulate positive action from participants across policy and the food and drink value chain.