At this year’s City Food & Drink Lecture, keynote speaker and CEO of Sainsbury’s, Simon Roberts, presented his thoughts to 600+ leaders in the food and drink industry on why good food is the result of a great food system.
Simon outlined four key priorities for the industry to collaborate on in order to build resilience of the UK’s food system amidst the growing and diverse risks, such as climate change. These priorities include:
- Policy: Implement accessible policies and funding to support farmers and producers, encouraging investment in technology for sustainable UK production.
- Partnership: Foster long-term partnerships between supermarkets, retailers, and producers, focusing on trust, value creation, and sustainable contracts.
- Sustainability: Collaborate across the industry to reduce environmental impact, particularly in addressing Scope 3 emissions and implementing system-wide solutions.
- Customers: Educate and empower customers to make informed choices about sustainable food options, fostering resilience in the UK food system.
He emphasised the importance of harnessing collaboration, leveraging technology and new investments, as well as fostering long-term skills and capabilities development to create a future-proofed food system. Simon also highlighted the significance of establishing a direct connection between consumers and the source of their food, to promote a more positive food culture and enable universal enjoyment of quality food.
Following the lecture, Simon was joined by an expert panel for an interactive Q&A session. This year’s panel consisted of NFU President Tom Bradshaw, the Food Foundation’s Executive Director Anna Taylor, and Dan Aherne, Global CEO of New England Seafood International.
Chaired by Charlotte Smith, who is well known for her role as presenter on BBC1’s Countryfile and on Radio 4’s Farming Today, the lively debate focused on food policy, retail supply relationships, trade deals, and tackling the health crisis.
The City Food & Drink Lecture is an annual event held at Guildhall in the City of London now in its 23rd year. It is organised jointly by the eight food-related City Livery Companies: the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Distillers, Farmers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers and Poulters. It typically brings together 700 industry leaders, academics and members of the eight Livery companies.
With thanks to Rathbones Investment Management, our premium sponsor for this event, and our other much valued sponsors and supporters: ABP, Agri – Tech Centres, Anpario, Compass Group UK & Ireland, Driscoll’s, Davy’s Wine Merchant, Eden Search, HSBC, New England Seafood International (NESI), Noble Foods, OrchardWorld, Roythornes, Saffery LLP, Sunny Side Up Communications and Fresh Produce Journal.
11th March 2024
