3.3 Set up a supply chain taskforce

In recent years, the UK has seen a series of shocks to its food supply chain, threatening the country’s food security. Energy and labour supplies are both key to a healthy food supply chain, but since 2020 disruption from Brexit, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine have all fuelled inflation, soaring food prices and shortages of certain foods. 

We face further risks. In particular, the impact of the climate crisis means the world is already dealing with more frequent and extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts and floods, all of which threaten food production. 

Meanwhile, many farmers are struggling to make ends meet, prompting some to leave the sector altogether and use their land for other purposes. For each farm lost, the country becomes ever more reliant on imported food.

There is real concern that more turbulence could lead to further food shortages and blockages in the supply chain, stifling economic growth and adding to the problem of food waste. 

FareShare has a proven track record of response to crisis, notably during the Covid-19 pandemic. As demand for our services soared, we were able to rapidly scale up our work and deliver food to the community sector as part of the Government’s Covid-19 emergency response. We doubled the amount of food we redistributed even in the face of extra logistical challenges.⁶⁷

There were clear lessons to be learned from this period. FareShare’s ability to mount an effective response depended on our strong, pre-existing relationships with central and local government, the food industry, and hyper-local charities who understood their communities’ specific needs.

Covid-19 showed that joined-up working is vital, and the Government must support the sector to allow it to withstand future crises. 

It’s clear that politicians are aware of the dangers. To date, we have seen multiple parliamentary inquiries focusing on food security and the sustainability of our farming sector.⁶⁸ We now need urgent action to stabilise the UK’s food supply chain and protect the country from future challenges.

The government can achieve this by setting up a supply chain taskforce, charged with reviewing the urgent needs of key sectors including food. This taskforce would help to build a more sustainable, resilient food system, while ensuring every link in the chain works to achieve net zero emissions targets and maximum social value.

With a focus on our domestic supply chain, the taskforce should also ensure that the UK has a healthy agricultural system where food grown in the country is used to feed people. This should include an efficient way of getting surplus food to charities – reducing waste and strengthening the communities those charities serve in the process.

Such an initiative would command support from across the sector: farmers, manufacturers, and retailers alike all back measures to strengthen the food supply chain.⁶⁹ Crucially, it would result in a food system in the UK that is fairer, greener, supports local communities, and is resilient to future shocks.