Report

Food Futures: from business as usual to business unusual

Achieving food and nutrition security in an increasingly complex and uncertain world means that “business as usual” approaches may no longer be a credible option. The UK food system was built for an era that has passed; businesses and policymakers are having to adapt and react to new and rapidly evolving economic, environmental and social realities.

The challenges are well rehearsed and cover a dizzying range of issues, from shifting global trade patterns, to water stress and increasing consumer expectations. Understandably therefore, the leaders of tomorrow will need to look further ahead to find ways to tackle the emerging challenges of today – something WRAP terms ‘doing business unusual’.

Through this research WRAP has identified a range of areas where businesses and policymakers can foster innovation, develop more resilient value chains and improve the offer to consumers. This report presents an in-depth analysis of where these opportunities for doing business unusual will come from. It has been created to inspire, provoke debate and ultimately influence the choices made today. In all, 15 ‘priority topics’ have been identified that range from the expansion of global aquaculture to the opportunities presented by automation and data exchange in food manufacturing (so-called ‘Industry 4.0’).