Food security is national security.
That is not a slogan – it is a simple truth. Every day, millions of people across the UK rely on a vast, intricate, and largely unseen system that ensures food is grown, processed, transported and stocked on shelves. When that system works, we barely notice it, but when it is placed under strain, the consequences are immediate. Ensuring everyone has access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food is one of the most fundamental responsibilities we have as a society.
That is why I am delighted to be chairing the Food Resilience Commission, led by Food & Drink Wholesale UK (FWD). The commission comes at a crucial moment for our country. In recent years, we have experienced a succession of seismic shocks that have tested our food system in ways few could have predicted. Those shocks have reinforced a simple lesson: resilience cannot be taken for granted. It must be actively built, strengthened and protected for the future.
The past five years, in particular, have exposed the fragility of both global and domestic supply chains, and we now have a duty to build a protective shield around our food system. Covid-19 demonstrated just how essential our food networks are to national life.
Keeping the nation fed
As shadow minister during the pandemic, I saw first-hand the extraordinary effort made across the supply chain to keep the nation fed. Wholesalers in particular were at the forefront of this national mission, playing a critical role to supply hospitals, care homes, schools and vulnerable communities as demand patterns shifted dramatically.
Then came further disruption. The war in Ukraine sent shockwaves through global food and energy markets, driving up costs and highlighting our exposure to international volatility. Brexit reshaped trading relationships, requiring businesses to adapt rapidly to new processes and frictions in order to maintain continuity.
At the same time, climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather events affecting production at home and abroad, while rising cyber-threats pose new and complex risks to increasingly digitalised supply chains. More recently, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East – and the unpredictable consequences these may have on global supply chains – further underscore why building resilience must remain a central priority for this government.
These aren’t abstract issues impacting another part of the world – this is real-life turbulence rocking the foundation of how food arrives at the table.
Let’s take a look at the wholesale sector, for example, where some of these pressures have been particularly acute. As a result of recent shocks, many businesses have seen surging input costs, labour shortages, logistical bottlenecks and the need to invest in new compliance and digital systems, all while continuing to ensure food reaches every corner of the country. These experiences have exposed vulnerabilities, but they have also demonstrated the sector’s agility, professionalism and commitment.
A resilient system
That is precisely why I am so pleased that FWD is bringing together this expert commission. The Food Resilience Commission will unite parliamentarians, industry leaders and specialist stakeholders to identify pressure points in our food and drink supply chain and develop practical, forward-looking solutions. We will examine issues ranging from logistics resilience and workforce capacity to cybersecurity and long-term sustainability. And we will look at how the government and industry can work more effectively together so that resilience is designed into the system.
Crucially, this work is not just about mitigating risk. It is about seizing opportunity. The transition to a more sustainable, climate-resilient food system can drive innovation, create skilled jobs, support British producers and strengthen local economies. A smarter, more integrated system can reduce waste, improve public health and lower long-term costs.
Over the coming months, I look forward to engaging with colleagues across parliament, with businesses large and small, and with experts from across the sector. Together, we will examine how best to future-proof our food system against further shocks while also embracing innovation, sustainability and smarter collaboration. The outcome of this work will be clear, actionable advice to colleagues in government on the steps we can take to strengthen resilience and build a food system that is truly fit for the future.
Our ambition is clear: to help shape a resilient 21st-century UK food system – one that grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes communities and protects our environment. Because food security is national security. And by strengthening food resilience today, we strengthen the foundations of our country for tomorrow.
Please visit here to find out more, as well as how to submit written evidence to the FWD Food Resilience Commission.
Daniel Zeichner is minister for food security & rural affairs
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