Morning, Monday, 23rd November 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for the use of data and improving transparency across the UK food system, assessing priorities for developing more connected approaches to agricultural, environmental and supply chain information.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider the opportunities and practical challenges involved in improving how data is collected, shared and used across the food and farming sector, in the context of the Farming Roadmap 2050 in England, the Food Data Transparency Partnership, and wider work to strengthen evidence bases and digital infrastructure.
Key considerations for ensuring data can support decision-making across the food system will be discussed, including implications for farm management, land-use planning, environmental reporting, regulation, supply chain resilience and market intelligence.
Farming data, digital systems & decision-making
The conference will examine priorities for improving access to - and use of - agricultural and land-use data, including the role of geospatial information, soil datasets, remote monitoring and digital decision-support tools in supporting farm management and policy delivery.
Discussion will consider how data systems can be developed to better support farmers, government and delivery partners, including opportunities to reduce duplication in reporting requirements, improve evidence collection and inform approaches to agricultural payments, regulation and assurance. Sessions will also explore concerns around data ownership, access arrangements and the balance between improving transparency and ensuring that farmers benefit from the information they provide.
Environmental data, measurement & verification
Sessions will explore the role of data in measuring and reporting environmental outcomes, including greenhouse gas emissions, natural capital and wider sustainability objectives.
Approaches to developing consistent methods for collecting, comparing and validating environmental information will be considered, as well as the challenges involved in establishing shared baselines and ensuring data can provide meaningful insights across different farming systems.
The conference will also look at the role of trusted environmental data in supporting emerging markets and investment approaches, including carbon, biodiversity and natural capital initiatives. Discussion will explore requirements for robust measurement and verification, while considering concerns around consistency, comparability and the potential reporting burden for land managers.
Supply chain transparency & data governance
Further discussion will assess priorities for improving information-sharing across the wider food supply chain, including between farmers, producers, manufacturers, retailers, researchers and government.
Sessions will consider the practical challenges of developing shared data approaches, commercial sensitivities and responsibilities for managing information. Discussion will also examine how greater transparency could support supply chain resilience, production planning and responses to changing market conditions.
Drawing on recent developments in supply chain traceability and reporting - such as the open call for evidence on digital product record policy and the publication of the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards earlier this year - those attending will discuss effective approaches to improving consistency between different reporting frameworks, and explore how businesses are responding to increasing expectations around transparency. Attendees will also look at what this means for costs and international requirements.
Food system infrastructure & innovation
The conference will examine developments in food system data infrastructure, including the Food Infrastructure & Governance project and wider efforts to test approaches for shared data systems and collaborative information-sharing.
Discussion will consider lessons learned from emerging data-sharing models, including requirements for effective governance, coordination between stakeholders and the development of common standards.
The role of emerging technologies - including artificial intelligence - in using food system data more effectively will be discussed. This will include consideration of AI-enabled farm management, predictive modelling, supply chain forecasting and automated approaches to sustainability reporting, alongside questions around data quality, governance and practical implementation.
Consumer information, public confidence & food policy delivery
Discussion will explore the role of transparency in supporting consumer understanding and confidence across the food system, including approaches to labelling, sustainability information and reporting. Sessions will consider how data can support wider food policy objectives - including improving healthy eating - while examining questions around accessibility, consistency and information overload.
Overview of areas for discussion
- Farming Roadmap 2050, agricultural data and digital systems:
- implementation of priorities for farming and land-use data - improving accessibility, quality and interoperability of information across government, industry and delivery partners
- geospatial data, soil information and remote monitoring - supporting farm decision-making, land-use planning and reducing duplication in reporting and evidence requirements
- data ownership and access arrangements - balancing transparency, commercial considerations and ensuring value for farmers contributing information
- food system intelligence, resilience and security:
- use of data to support food security monitoring, market intelligence and assessment of supply chain risks
- improving coordination between production, environmental and supply chain information - supporting resilience and responses to changing market conditions
- data-enabled regulation, payments and assurance:
- use of data to support proportionate monitoring approaches - opportunities and challenges around verification, assurance and evidence collection
- improving evidence bases for agricultural policy delivery - implications for reporting requirements, compliance and decision-making
- environmental data, measurement and investment:
- developing approaches for measuring greenhouse gas emissions, natural capital and environmental outcomes - consistency, comparability and verification challenges
- use of trusted environmental data in supporting sustainability reporting, environmental markets and investment decisions - including requirements for credible measurement and verification
- Food Data Transparency Partnership, supply chains and reporting frameworks:
- aligning government, industry and research approaches to data sharing - common standards, reporting frameworks and practical implementation considerations
- improving transparency across food supply chains - traceability, digital product records and related digital information systems, sustainability disclosures and implications for producers, manufacturers and retailers
- data infrastructure, governance and innovation:
- Food Infrastructure & Governance project and wider data-sharing approaches - testing infrastructure, governance models and lessons from supply chain pilots
- National Data Library and future data platforms - dataset priorities, interoperability and access arrangements
- AI and digital innovation - opportunities and challenges in using data for farm management, forecasting and automated reporting
- consumer transparency and confidence:
- consumer-facing information and reporting - labelling, sustainability information and healthy food reporting
- transparency and trust across the food system - balancing accessibility, consistency and practical implementation challenges
