Nearly 200 delegates from across the UK were greeted by snowy scenes as they arrived in York in early January for the Transforming UK Food Systems Programme (TUKFS) annual meeting. Many of us warmed up with a food systems-themed board game breakfast (see Beantopia and Planet Pizza), and this was a chance to catch up with familiar faces, make new connections and learn some fun facts – did you know that pepperoni as a pizza topping has 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions than mushrooms?
Professor Bob Doherty, co-lead of the FixOurFood research project – our hosts for the next two days, welcomed us to the University of York. His opening address brought minds collectively into focus on the importance of TUKFS research partnerships (and the reason for us coming together) to address critical issues in food security, health and the environment. The agenda then kicked off with a panel discussion on food system change at the local level where all four speakers highlighted the need for co-ordinated efforts to mobilise action, for example to leverage investment into farming for resilient landscapes by aligning business needs with common interest challenges.
Food for thought
We heard from leading voices from across the sector: businessman and cookery writer Henry Dimbleby spoke of unknowns in the food system, including the role of big data and AI, and how the future might play out in terms of the nation’s health. For example, will science prove wider harms from ultra-processed foods beyond overeating and can we medicate against the issue with diet drugs? While Emeritus Professor Tim Lang made a strong argument for recognising the food system as crucial national infrastructure & planning resilience accordingly, including bringing defence back into future food planning. The challenge of delivering greater food security for the UK was also central to the keynote speech given by Daniel Zeichner, Minister of State for Defra and Labour MP for Cambridge, who said: “As a government we are taking food security seriously. We have set a path to develop a food strategy and deliver clear, long-term outcomes to create a healthier, fairer and more resilient food system.”
Shared learning platform
Sharing good food was a central feature of the meeting across both days but the conference dinner deserves a special mention as it was an absolutely delicious edible showcase of locally sourced food from Yorkshire farmers and food businesses who are associated with the FixOurFood research consortium.
More broadly, the meeting provided fantastic opportunities to share knowledge and experiences between academics, policymakers and industry leaders. Highlights included a workshop, led by Defra colleagues, where delegates were able to discuss the implications and opportunities of the recently published UK Food Security Report. The meeting also proved to be a fantastic showcase of our talented early career researchers – the next generation of food system thinkers – who gave ‘lightning talks’, presented posters on their work and ran workshop sessions e.g. to discuss what we can achieve as a collective that we can’t achieve alone.
It was a truly inspirational way to start 2025, re-invigorating our commitments to make change happen.
Tracey Duncombe, TUKFS Knowledge Exchange Fellow
Watch short video interviews with some of the meeting delegates:
Jagjit Singh Srai from the Mandala consortium
Sarah Bridle from FixOurFood
Bob Doherty from FixOurFood
Rick Mumford from the Food Standards Agency and TUKFS Programme Board
