TO BE PUBLISHED November 2026
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This conference will examine key developments in food policy in England following the publication of major new frameworks for the food, farming and land use system. Areas for discussion include policy coordination and implementation, growth and investment across the food system, affordability and public health, and priorities for climate adaptation, food security and resilience.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider what will be needed if the Government’s food, farming and land use priorities are to be translated into coherent and deliverable action, in the context of the Good Food Cycle strategy for England, the first Land Use Framework for England and the recent Farming Roadmap 2050.
With the Government accepting 53 of the 57 recommendations of the independent Farming Profitability Review, the agenda will look at next steps for measures focused on profitability and productivity, supply-chain fairness, investment, skills, and closer working between government and industry. Delegates will discuss priorities for the Farming and Food Partnership Board as it continues to develop the first sector growth plans.
The agenda will consider how responsibilities and delivery arrangements should be coordinated across these frameworks, where further policy development or implementation detail is needed, and how competing economic, health, environmental and land use priorities should be addressed in practice. We expect discussion to reflect the backdrop of increasingly volatile climatic and geopolitical conditions, including the effects of recent prolonged drought conditions in England on production, water availability and the resilience of farms and supply chains.
Policy coordination, governance & delivery
Delegates will consider priorities for coordinating food, farming, environmental and land use policy, including the division of responsibilities between government departments, delivery bodies and the Farming and Food Partnership Board. Discussion will assess what is needed for consistent decision-making, effective implementation and accountability at national and local level, and for policy to provide sufficient clarity for farms and businesses across the food system.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- regulatory coherence: aligning the frameworks in practice - administrative capacity - translating strategy into demonstrable results at farm, supply chain and consumer level
- governance & accountability: where responsibility should sit - clarity and certainty for longer-term investment decisions - the emerging role of the Farming and Food Partnership Board
- data & evidence: where spatial analysis and land use data is most needed - assessing progress across the food system - informing coordinated decision-making
- delivery capacity: coordination across the Defra, HM Treasury and delivery bodies - the relationship between national policy and local delivery
Growth, investment & competitiveness
The agenda will consider what will be needed to support long-term growth, investment confidence and competitiveness across farming and the wider food industry. Sessions will assess priorities for policy stability, funding and investment, productivity and innovation, alongside approaches to workforce pressures and the cumulative impact of regulatory, reporting and sustainability requirements.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- investment confidence: policy stability and predictability - funding and delivery arrangements - considerations for risk and cost sharing between government and farming
- competitiveness & productivity: sector growth plans for horticulture and poultry - innovation and technology adoption - achieving fairer, more transparent supply chains
- workforce: labour capacity and skills - attracting and retaining talent across the sector - assessing the Seasonal Worker route to 2030
- regulation & reporting: evolving requirements - sustainability expectations - developing proportionate administrative requirements
Affordability & public health
Sessions will focus on the relationship between the food environment and population health outcomes, including the role of food policy in supporting healthier diets and reducing health inequalities. With cost-of-living pressures persisting and food prices having risen in recent years, delegates will consider how access to healthier, affordable food might be improved, and what this means for competitiveness and investment across the food industry.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- healthier food environments: proposals for mandatory healthy food sales reporting - Review of the Nutrient Profiling Model - reformulation challenges across different food categories
- addressing potential tensions: public health objectives, cost and consumer choice - implications for producers, manufacturers and retailers - supply chain sustainability
- affordability & access: place-based approaches to nutritious food - reducing dietary inequalities between communities - food labelling and consumer information
- measuring impact: metrics for the food environment and evaluating what works - assessing effectiveness of measures in leading to sustained changes in purchasing patterns and diet
Climate adaptation, food security & system resilience
Further discussion will consider the practical implementation of climate adaptation across farms, supply chains and the wider food system, looking at the coordination of agricultural, environmental and land use policies, and the planning, data and spatial tools that might be deployed to support more integrated decision-making.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- adaptation in practice: measures across farms and supply chains - nature-based approaches such as soil and water management - reducing reliance on costly inputs
- competing land demands: protecting productive agricultural land - balancing nature recovery, renewable energy and developments - role of the Land Use Framework and spatial planning
- climate variability: extreme weather and changing growing conditions - global climate patterns such as El Niño - implications for domestic production, imports and food security
- resilience & investment: data and evidence for adaptation planning - supporting investment across farms - strengthening supply chain resilience
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Climate Change Committee; Environment Agency; Food Standards Agency; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Food Standards Scotland; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
