The National Security Assessment report (2026) states, “without significant increases in UK food system and supply chain resilience, it is unlikely the UK would be able to maintain food security if ecosystem collapse drives geopolitical competition for food. Countries best placed to adapt are those that invest in ecosystem protection and restoration, and resilient and efficient food systems”.

The relationship between food producers and supply chains is entering a period of structural change. For decades, agricultural supply chains have been largely transactional: prices set by commodity markets and engagement between buyers and farmers limited mainly to meeting specifications. That model is now shifting quickly, driven by a convergence of economic, environmental and geopolitical pressures that is reshaping how food businesses operate. Together, these forces are aligning the interests of producers and buyers, making closer collaboration a source of shared resilience and value (Figure 4). Recent announcements by retailers have committed their support to UK producers; for example, Sainsbury’s is investing £5 billion to expand long-term UK farming agreements, and Morrisons has committed £1.6 billion to its UK food supply chain.

Case study: McCain UK Farm of the Future

McCain is no stranger to knowledge transfer, operating three demonstration farms across England: in Yorkshire, East Anglia and Shropshire. These are on McCain growers’ farms (from the 250 contract growers') and involve potato trials, research and knowledge sharing to support the McCain regenerative agriculture framework.

In 2020, the Global McCain Sustainability Strategy proposed three Farms of the Future, which aimed to advance the work of the demonstration farms and utilise owned land, thereby de-risking growers and giving McCain complete control over a whole farm. The demonstration farms only focus on the potato crop, whereas the Farm of the Future encompasses the whole farm, the full rotation, including other crops.

The global commitment was to have three Farms of the Future by the end of 2025: Canada (McCain hometown of New Brunswick), South Africa (to cover the southern hemisphere), and the third location was to be decided.

The McCain family has a farming background, commitment to sustainable agriculture, and strong UK connections which have supported the good progress UK growers and the UK McCain team made through the regenerative agriculture framework, demonstration farms, and the vision for groundbreaking research. The strength of customer relationships and the McCain brand in the UK sealed the UK's selection to host the third Farm of the Future.

Savills worked with McCain to review options for purchasing or leasing land and recognising the research nature of this project connected McCain with the University of Leeds. The shared objectives and ambitions revealed that collaborating for the Farm of the Future would be a win-win for both. Savills helped agree an 18-year Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) to enable a rotation with potatoes once every six years. The first activity included drilling a cover crop last autumn, ahead of spring-planted potatoes, with the remaining arable land moving into McCain management following the 2026 harvest.

The FBT took into account a memorandum of understanding with the University of Leeds regarding current trials in place and the collaborative effort for future trials.

The Farm of the Future will extend the trials the demonstration farms have been looking at on sustainability and resilience to a whole farm system. These involve minimal cultivation, one-pass planting, cover crops ahead of potatoes, and irrigation technology. New objectives for the future will also include:

• Aligning the system with the pig unit on the farm. Can McCain achieve a circular nutrition programme?

• Trialling autonomous vehicles

• Investigating novel fuel sources such as hydrogen

Information from the Farm of the Future will be disseminated via the McCain website and through farm visits and interactions with growers and other stakeholders.

Case study: SS Horton & Sons and Matthews Cotswold Flour

SS Horton & Sons and Matthews Cotswold Flour are working together to grow high-quality milling wheat using regenerative farming practices. The farming model focuses on improving soil health, nutrient-use efficiency, and crop resilience while meeting the quality specifications required for flour production. The partnership is characterised by open communication and an understanding of the costs and risks involved in changing farming systems.

Figure 5 is provided for illustrative purposes only. It is based on data and evidence gathered by SS Horton & Sons and highlights the opportunity cost of doing nothing for food producers in a conventional farming situation versus implementing regenerative agriculture practices. The conventional system decline looks at input volatility, loss of ecosystem services, degrading soil health and shrinking margins, versus the long-term resilience of soils to weather shocks, reduced exposure to input price rises, and working ecosystems that support food production in a regenerative system.

A key feature of the collaboration is the use of clear performance metrics, ensuring environmental claims are evidenced by measurable results rather than narrative alone. Production standards are maintained to ensure commercial viability, with minimum wheat yield expectations of around seven tonnes per hectare, and a maximum nitrogen application threshold of 165 kg per hectare to encourage nutrient-use efficiency without compromising crop performance.

Crop protection is carefully managed using integrated pest management, with the aim, when conditions allow, of reducing fungicide applications to a single treatment rather than the three or four typically used in conventional systems. Livestock are also integrated, either grazing within standing cereal crops to help break disease cycles or grazing on cover crops within the rotation to improve nutrient cycling and soil health, as well as providing an income. All practices are supported by robust recordkeeping and independently audited each year, providing transparency and credibility.

This independent oversight provides clear evidence of genuine environmental improvements, reduces the risk of greenwashing, and generates a reliable dataset to track progress over time. Matthews Cotswold Flour contracts are designed to strengthen farm resilience and ensure a reliable flour supply over the long term, reducing exposure to fluctuations in grain quality and availability.

Unlike traditional commodity relationships, value is created not only through yield and volume, but also through provenance, quality and sustainability attributes. By linking land management to end product outcomes, this model supports farm profitability and builds more resilient, collaborative supply chains. The most successful businesses over the coming decade are likely to be those that build collaborative, transparent and resilient relationships across the food system, recognising that environmental performance, production resilience and commercial success are increasingly interconnected.

UK supply chain priorities

Figure 6 shows the results of Savills food supply chain analysis, which reviews companies’ progress in sustainability commitments and supply chain collaboration between 2022 and 2024. While there has been an improvement in companies’ approach to the strategic aspect of their responsibilities, the operational, food production element remains lacking. Only 30% of companies have a sustainability group for producers; these are effective ways to influence their supply chain, so the analysis highlights a significant opportunity for the future.

During further research in 2025, we reviewed 51 UK sustainability-linked supply chain contracts. Of the 51 contracts, 37% mentioned animal welfare as an objective, 31% greenhouse gas reduction, 31% regenerative agriculture, and 29% biodiversity. There were several consistent patterns:

1. Incentives focus on a small set of core practices, particularly reduced tillage (mentioned in 37% of contracts), cover cropping (27%), rotation diversity (18%), nutrient optimisation (22%) and improved grazing management (24%). These interventions are recognised as delivering both environmental and agronomic benefits, which explains their prevalence across supply chains.
2. Financial incentives were generally modest. Payments are often embedded within contracts or delivered through technical support rather than significant price premiums. The primary value to farmers frequently comes through improved stability, reduced risk and access to support rather than large direct payments.
3. Data requirements are increasing rapidly. Carbon accounting, environmental monitoring and practice verification are becoming standard expectations across many supply chains, reflecting the need for credible reporting to investors and regulators.
4. Successful programmes tend to involve collaboration between multiple actors, farmers, processors, retailers, advisors and financial institutions. This reflects the complexity of delivering environmental outcomes within productive farming systems.

Figure 7 summarises three of the 51 contracts: ADM (arable), Arla (dairy) and Morrisons (livestock). Each contract has a main objective (blue) and delivery actions (green). Premiums vary and are not always publicly disclosed. Following the recent changes in the government’s financial incentives, food producers should review their contracts to ensure requirements and payments remain economically viable and continue to incentivise sustainable food production.

_{Read the articles within Spotlight: Food Beyond Today below.}