This report explores the relationship between food price inflation, energy prices and climate driven extreme weather events. The authors find that year-on-year extreme weather is exacerbating food price inflation, offsetting the dampening effect of falling energy prices in 2023 in the UK.

This report details the interconnectedness between food and fossil fuel consumption through the entire supply chain. The authors identify the key drivers of food system fossil fuel consumption, barriers to transformation and high-impact, no-regret opportunities to collaborate in the transformation of energy and food systems. 

Aimed at industry professionals, this book offers a practical guide to analyse and design sustainable business practice in the food industry. The book demystifies a range of topics in the food system through using real life business cases. 

This work uses the avocado as a lens to analyse the impact of globalising the production of local food. Eldridge explores the economic, environmental and ethical problems raised by the transition that has occurred to meet global demand for avocados.  

The Colorado river supplies tens of millions of people and millions of acres of farmland with water, but its supply is shrinking. Investigations by ProPublica reveal that 20 families use the majority of water consumed by farmers and more than some entire states. 

The UN warned that the world is losing 1 millions square kilometres (386,000 square miles) of agricultural land every year to sand and dust storms. At least a quarter of storms could be attributed to human activity, primarily overmining and overgrazing. 

Seaweed farming is being championed as a magic bullet for food systems and the environment, promising to capture carbon, rehabilitate ecosystems and feed the world. Recent reporting from the Guardian investigates one seaweed enterprise, the Climate Foundation, and its mission to win Elon Musk’s $100m Xprize. 

Gene drives are landscape-scale gene editing technologies that have the potential to reduce pests, crop damage, pesticide use and crop prices. One potential negative impact explored by this paper is the restriction of consumer choice affecting consumer welfare. In order to understand this impact, the paper surveyed US consumers about their preferences regarding gene drives compared with pesticide use and GM crops.

The paper provides an overview of the current and potential future uses of digital technologies in agri-food production, processing and distribution; identifying advantages, disadvantages and barriers to adoption. The paper highlights case studies of digital technology companies working to improve food safety.