A report from WRAP has outlined the risks to the UK food system over the next decade if it adopts a business as usual approach.
The Food Futures report was launched at WRAP’s annual conference and assessed 15 topics in the UK food system and outlines recommendations for action by industry and government.
Some of the risks identified in the report that affect the whole industry include climate risks to food resilience and deep environmental and societal challenges like reducing food waste or tackling diet-related ill health.
New supply chain collaborations and exploiting digital technology will be needed to avoid these risks the report says.
But consumers will also need to adapt with healthier and more sustainable diets.
With one quarter of potential calories from food ending up as waste, business will need to be flexible, intelligent and transparent (FIT) to ensure farm-to-fork waste is reduced.
WRAP chief executive Liz Goodwin said: “In the next ten years we will be faced with challenges around feeding a growing population and nutritional security.
“Our Food Futures report highlights how governments, businesses and we, as consumers, can turn these challenges into opportunities.
“We need to be 21st Century ‘FIT’ to meet this challenge. By embracing the growth in data enabled technology and aligning healthy and environmentally sustainable diets we can nourish both the individual and the planet.”
