Upskilling // Accelerator Programme
Food Systems Essentials
An Accelerator Programme from Future Food Movement
People across retail, manufacturing, foodservice, agriculture and supply chains are now making decisions in an environment shaped by climate pressure, supply volatility, health, policy and cost pressure, often without the time or space to properly connect the dots.
Helping professionals build the systems perspective and commercial judgement needed to operate more effectively in a rapidly changing food system.
Translate system-level change into clear commercial implications
Not just more understanding, but stronger, faster and more intentional action across a cross-business, cross-functional cohort
From signal to decisions in four weeks
Week 1
System
signals
Understand the change happening across the food system, decoding future signals for stronger decisions today.
Week 2
Climate & supply dynamics
Explore how climate change, decarbonisation and geopolitical shifts are reshaping supply, with a focus on the practical implications for supply chains, cost and resilience.
Week 3
Driving demand
through health
Understand how health, nutrition and changing consumer expectations are reshaping demand, category growth and commercial strategy.
Week 4
Action
lab
Apply the programme insights and learnings to your work today, with a practical peer and coach-led workshop.
signals → supply → demand → application
This accelerator programme is designed to help participants:
Make faster, more confident decisions.
Understand commercial and sustainability impacts, trade-offs and opportunities.
Navigate trade-offs between cost, risk and sustainability with greater clarity.
Reduce internal friction across teams.
Apply the learning immediately to live business decisions.
About the programme
Duration:
Over 4 weeks
Delivered:
Online weekly
2 hours per session
Commencing:
September 2026
Session dates:
Week 1: Wednesday 9th September, 12:00–14:00
Week 2: Tuesday 17th September, 10:00 - 12:00
Week 3: Tuesday 22nd September, 10:00–12:00
Week 4: Monday 28 September, 12:00–14:00
Who is this for?
Anyone working in or connected to the food sector involved in decisions where cost, supply, demand and expectations collide - regardless of role or seniority.
Future Food Movement is a systems-thinking organisation and participants will be selected to reflect different areas of the food system.
Book your place from as little as £675 per person
Silver, Gold and Platinum members: £675 p/p
Bronze members: £810 p/p
Non members: £900 p/p*
We are also booking for future cohorts.
Contact us to find out more
Previous cohorts include:
My thinking has shifted from understanding to action. I now focus on the levers that drive healthier, more sustainable choices and believe success must go beyond commercial metrics to a true triple win for people, planet and profit. The programme strengthened my strategic thinking and gave me the confidence, insight and connections to lead this agenda across our business and with our retail partners.
Rachel Smith,
Head of Development- Packaging, HSD and Brands, Greencore
Meet the coaches delivering the sessions
Kate Cawley
Week 1 - System signals
-
Kate Cawley is the founder of Future Food Movement. Partnering with leaders across the food industry - from retailers, foodservice, brands and manufacturers - Kate drives insight-led action on climate, health, and sustainability, aiming to make food a force for positive change. Kate’s focus is on challenging leadership mindsets and believes leaders need to think and act quite differently if we are to achieve an industry wide transformation. Kate founded Future Food Movement to boost business competency and confidence to act, bridging the gap from Boardroom to shop floor with a team of experts in climate, nutrition, public health, regenerative systems, behaviour change and governance, empowering the industry to drive meaningful action.
Will Clare
Week 2 - Climate and supply dynamics
-
Will Clare advises on the net zero transition for the food industry, ranging from product impact assessments, to setting SBTs, producing training content for a better understanding of climate change to guidance for site teams on how to deliver reductions in energy use and the development of net zero pathways. He runs workshops and lectures for a variety of different industries and organisations on climate change.
Chris Manley
Week 2 - Climate and supply dynamics
-
Chris Manley is the Founder of Traction Consulting, helping food businesses close the gap between supply chain ambition and real-world delivery.
Raised on a cattle and sheep farm in Devon, he combines practical agricultural experience with a career spanning senior roles at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Müller, where he led complex programmes across sustainability, farmer engagement and supply chain development.
Through Traction, Chris works with retailers, processors and industry partners to move beyond strategy and into action, aligning commercial, environmental and operational priorities in a way that works in practice, not just on paper, with a strong focus on commercial viability and long-term value.
Alongside this, he is increasingly focused on the practical application of AI within food and agriculture businesses. His work helps leaders cut through the noise, build confidence with the tools, and use AI in a way that genuinely saves time, improves decision-making and strengthens supply chain performance.
Charlotte Radcliffe
Week 3 - Driving demand through health
-
Charlotte is a multi-award-winning Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with over two decades of experience working across the food industry. Her expertise spans evidence-based nutrition strategy, menu development, product optimisation, stakeholder engagement, and policy alignment.
Media-trained and science-led, Charlotte makes nutrition actionable for retailers, hospitality businesses, food brands, and public sector partners. She has partnered with leading brands to drive meaningful change in the food environment, helping businesses navigate the complex landscape of sustainable nutrition.
Susan Thomas
Week 4 - Action lab
-
Susan has spent over 25 years in the food industry in a range of commercial, marketing and strategic leadership roles. Formerly the Senior Director Sustainability at Asda, she is now an independent consultant working to bridge the complex landscape for action on food sustainability into industry commercial practices.
During her 8 years at PepsiCo she led strategic partnerships with retailers to shift the snacking category towards healthier options ahead of HFSS regulation, and consulted to many of the world's best known brands and retailers around the world during the first part of her career at Kantar.
Helen Ireland
Week 4 - Action lab
-
With a career spanning some of the UK’s best-known food and drink brands, Helen brings deep expertise in embedding sustainability into commercial strategy. She supports businesses at every stage of their journey - building cross-functional capability, unlocking organisational momentum and designing climate-positive roadmaps that stick. Before joining Future Food Movement, Helen led transformational sustainability work at Sainsbury’s, Costa Coffee and Cafédirect, integrating ESG into finance, strategy, product, brand and supply chains. She’s passionate about collaborative learning, systems thinking and empowering teams to move from intent to action - ensuring sustainability becomes everyone’s business, not just a function.
FAQS
Is this suitable for any function?
Absolutely. The more teams that are educated, the greater the potential for impact.
Do I need prior knowledge?
No - it’s designed for beginners as well as those building structured knowledge. More experienced learners will gain up to date knowledge, valuable frameworks and case studies.
What will I learn?
An understanding of how food systems function (globally and locally)
Insights into key challenges (climate, biodiversity, equity, health)
Practical frameworks for change
Real-world case studies and innovations
Tools to apply learning directly in your role.
Is it practical or theoretical?
It’s a blend, combining accessible theory with real-world application and actionable insights.
What does being part of the Future Food Movement community do for me?
You’ll join a community where you can:
Share ideas and hear different perspectives
Spark new thinking and opportunities
Build a network of like-minded professionals
Connect with people you can collaborate with long-term.
How will this help my career?
Builds credibility in sustainability and food systems
Supports better strategic decision-making
Enables career shifts into future food or impact roles.
How will I apply this in my job?
You’ll leave with:
Clear language to talk about food systems
Tools to influence internal decisions
Ideas for innovation within your organisation
What kind of outcomes or projects come from it?
Participants often go on to:
Launch new initiatives
Shift internal strategy
Build partnerships
Influence sourcing or product development decisions.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes, participants receive a certificate of completion.
Can I fit it around work?
Yes, it’s designed for working professionals with online access.
How is this different from other sustainability courses?
Focused specifically on food systems
Highly practical and industry-relevant
Built by practitioners, not just academics
Strong emphasis on real-world change.