UK agri-food giants unite to build national data infrastructure for net zero

A high-profile consortium led by Arup has been commissioned to build a new national data sharing infrastructure (DSI).

The project, titled Food Infrastructure & Governance (FIG), was launched today, February 2, 2026. Commissioned by Defra in partnership with the Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP), the initiative aims to solve one of the industry’s biggest headaches: the lack of consistent, trustworthy data on sustainability.

The consortium brings together a powerhouse of technical and industry expertise, including the Open Data Institute (ODI), WRAP, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), and HESTIA.

Together, they will design and pilot a governance model that allows data to flow securely across the supply chain — from farm gate to supermarket shelf. The goal is to create a “smart data ecosystem” that supports the UK’s legal commitments to Net Zero and the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Key objectives of the FIG Project:

• Harmonised standards: creating a “common language” for environmental impact data to ensure consistency across different brands and sectors.
• Reduced admin for farmers: streamlining how data is collected to lift the reporting burden currently placed on producers.
• Digital product passports: testing tools that could eventually allow consumers and businesses to scan products for instant, verified sustainability credentials.
• Verified reporting: strengthening the evidence base for “green” claims to eliminate greenwashing and build consumer trust.

The leadership behind the project emphasizes that this is about survival and growth in a green economy.

“A sustainable agri-food supply chain depends on data that producers, policymakers, and the public can trust,” says Louise Burke, CEO of the ODI. “We are helping to build the infrastructure that ensures decisions are robust and systems are built safely.”

Harriet Trewin, programme lead at WRAP, noted that a lack of trust in data quality has been a “huge blocker” for the industry. Meanwhile, Adam Short of the AHDB highlighted that the project will ensure the voices of farmers and levy-payers are central to the new digital architecture.

The project will begin with a series of pilots across selected food product supply chains to demonstrate real-world scalability before a wider rollout.