Speciality Food March 2026

specialityfoodmagazine.com 25 REBECCA REILLY FUTURE PAK ASH SINFIELD TEALS’S JIM MELLON AGRONOMICS ANDREW GOODACRE BIRA MARK TURNBULL IMPACT RETAIL TRAINING TODD REDWOOD BSI COMMENTATORS ALEX SMITH FUTUREPLUS A GREEN FUTURE From tech to education, evolution to authenticity, there are plenty of ways Speciality Food readers can put sustainability at the core of their operations S ustainability is a universal issue, one that comes with challenges as well as opportunities, but the good news for delis, farm shops and other businesses within the fine food sector is that they have the opportunity to be at the forefront of change. With their proximity to the land and connections with end consumers, retailers and brands are in a valuable position – able to make in-house changes that can have real time impact on the health of our communities and the planet, and pass messaging from those in-the- know to the public. It can seem to be an issue with no end in sight, but by fighting for a better future for our surrounding environment, making considered moves towards working within sustainable supply chains and being proactive about making our own operations green, together we can create real change for the better. Letting tech do the talking Technology platforms, such as those from FuturePlus, are helping businesses become more responsible, resilient and sustainable by making data consistent and useful. Data that allows companies to see where they are today, and where they want to get to, identifying practical opportunities to improve. This kind of insight is invaluable, says CEO Alex Smith. “The food and drink sector sits at the crossroads of several urgent global issues,” she begins. “At the same time, consumers, retailers, regulation and investors are demanding proof of action, not just promises.” “WE ARE IN A CRITICAL DECADE” The food industry has cornered itself in some respects, and as such a critical industry change has to be made. The agricultural practices that we’ve been implementing over the past century have caused huge issues to the health of the soil and as a result the nutrients within our food, and that’s why I worked with futurologists to produce Food Future 2035: The Critical Decade – if the food industry has the same approach in 10 years’ time as it does today, we’re going to be facing disaster. For example, food waste is an enormous issue. We throw out about a third of the food that we produce, which leads to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Ideally businesses would design waste out of their operations rather than learn how to deal with it; it’s a strange situation that we’ve accepted. The majority of food waste happens in the home, but businesses still have a role to play – through education around labelling such as best before dates, demonstrating that dishes can be made with leftover produce, and avoiding waste in their own operations. We can take inspiration from France, where it’s now illegal for retailers to throw food away. Sovereignty is also an incredibly important part of a sustainable future. I’m not saying businesses shouldn’t trade with other countries, but we need to become better at feeding ourselves. It’s not within the supermarkets’ interests to work within smaller supply chains, but by sourcing locally produced, naturally more nutrient-rich produce, Speciality Food readers can make a tangible impact. At the end of the white paper, we pose three core questions: where will we source food to raise production for a resource-challenged world, how can we stretch the resources we already have to accommodate the growing population, and how do we nourish future generations in a world that’s overfed but undernourished? Todd Redwood, managing director, global food and retail at BSI If the food industry has the same approach in 10 years’ time as it does today, we’re going to be facing disaster