UK food resilience demands urgent action

The UK’s food supply chain is facing a reckoning.

In a powerful submission to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Food and Drink, the Provision Trade Federation (PTF) has warned that the government lacks a coordinated food resilience strategy — leaving the nation exposed to mounting global and domestic threats. This call to action echoes the concerns raised by

Professor Tim Lang at the IFST Autumn Conference 2025, where he urged policymakers to treat food resilience as a civil responsibility in an increasingly unstable world.

The PTF’s message is clear: food must be treated as critical national infrastructure. Representing sectors that account for 20% of UK household food expenditure and 130,000 jobs, the PTF’s submission outlines a series of urgent vulnerabilities — from cyber threats and climate shocks to energy instability and over-reliance on a handful of retailers.

Director general Rod Addy didn’t mince words: “The UK cannot afford to continue in this way or the consequences for it and the welfare and lives of its citizens could be dire.”

This aligns with Lang’s framing of the UK’s food system as dangerously underprepared for the “polycrisis” era — a term used to describe the convergence of multiple, overlapping crises. At the IFST conference, Lang argued that food resilience must go beyond market efficiency and embrace long-term planning, public accountability, and environmental stewardship. He called for a national food resilience strategy that integrates health, sustainability, and civil preparedness.

Both Lang and the PTF emphasise that resilience is not just about bouncing back — it’s about building systems that can withstand and adapt to future shocks. The PTF is calling for a government-led strategy with clear timelines, developed in partnership with industry. Lang, meanwhile, advocates for a broader societal shift: one that sees food not just as a commodity, but as a public good.

Mike Reader MP, chair of the APPG, welcomed the PTF’s submission, acknowledging the complexity of the challenges and the need for coordinated action. “Global instability, climate impacts, rising costs and skills shortages are all complex issues that require coordinated thinking and action,” he said.

The takeaway? The UK food sector is sounding the alarm — and it’s time for government to listen. Whether through industry-led submissions or academic advocacy, the message is consistent: food resilience must be prioritised, planned, and protected. In a polycrisis era, anything less is a risk the UK cannot afford.

Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.

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