Former food security and rural affairs minister Daniel Zeichner has been appointed chair of a new Food Resilience Commission, tasked with investigating whether the UK’s food system is fit for purpose and able to withstand modern-day supply chain shocks.
The Commission, which launched in parliament today (28 January), is a cross-sector forum led by Food and Drink Wholesale UK (FWD).
It brings together parliamentarians, industry leaders and expert stakeholders to address challenges affecting the security, sustainability and resilience of the UK’s food and drink supply chain. It aims to identify and address vulnerabilities in areas such as cyber resilience and supply chain pressure points.
Over the coming months, the Commission will begin its work to engage with stakeholders from across the food supply chain, which will include a series of evidence-gathering roundtable discussions before presenting final recommendations to the UK government in the latter half of 2026.
“The UK’s food system has been exposed to several unforeseen shocks over recent years,” said Zeichner. “It’s a central part of our everyday life and deserves our full attention to ensure we can future-proof it for future challenges.
“I’m therefore delighted to have been asked by FWD to chair the new Food Resilience Commission, which will be developing a series of practical solutions to help colleagues in government protect our food system in the future.”
FWD CEO James Bielby added: “UK wholesalers are a fundamental part of the UK’s food system, and throughout times of global instability, our members have continued to serve communities across the country. As we look to build a more resilient food system, I am absolutely delighted to be launching our Food Resilience Commission in parliament today and thrilled that Daniel has agreed to be our chair.
“Given his wealth of experience and deep-rooted understanding of the food supply chain, he will be a great asset to the work of the Commission, as we seek to advise the government and future-proof the entire food supply chain.”
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