UK Food Supply in the 21st Century: the New Dynamic

 

Lead Researchers: Professor Robert Lee, Professor Terry Marsden, Chatham House

A joint project with Chatham House began in 2007. The research is focused on the future of food supply, examining the effects of global trends on the supply chains for two staples, wheat and dairy, in the UK market. The work is built around a core panel of stakeholders. It highlights the challenges to be faced by giving participants an opportunity to discuss different versions of the future built up through scenario-based analysis. The reactions and options open to those within the supply networks were discussed in workshops and documented by the research team.

The initial research included a series of interviews and discussions with leading players within and around Britain's wheat and dairy supply networks. The work indicates that there are widespread doubts about the ability of global food production to meet rising demand, with constraints on the availability of energy, water and land frequently identified as issues of particular significance. Overall, there is an expectation of significant structural change in existing food supply arrangements and the policies that support them; and there is a belief that Britain as a society has a number of important choices to make if it is to secure the kind of supply arrangements that best support its interests.

To view more information on this project, please click here

There are a series of interim reports including:

see also ESRC Britain Today article: The Future of Britain's Food Supply

 

 

 
© 2012 The ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society