Expert Event recap · 4 November 2026
The next
risk
horizon.
On 4th November, Future Food Movement brought together leaders from foodservice, investment and conservation to explore what climate, water and regulatory risks meant for food supply and 2027 planning. Our audience polls raised a question for every food business setting its budget: how much disruption will it take before risk changes a commercial decision?
How much disruption will it take to change the plan?
When we asked which risk businesses were underestimating, water stress and drought was the most common answer, with 31% of the vote. Together with climate volatility and harvest disruption, it accounted for 53% of the votes.
Only three people who answered our budget question said climate, nature and regulatory risks had been costed and were already shaping commercial decisions. When we asked what would drive change over the next two years, half of those who answered expected it to come from actual disruption to supply, availability or cost.
What struck us was how much change respondents expected to come after disruption hit. If we can already see where the pressure is building, waiting for a shortfall or a price rise is a short-sighted way to plan. What could you build into your 2027 sourcing decisions and budgets while you still have room to act?
In the room
Who joined the discussion
A foodservice operator delivering sustainability at scale, a global venture capital investor and publisher, a conservation organisation working with UK retailers and an investor engagement specialist with more than 25 years in asset management, with Future Food Movement founder Kate Cawley in the chair. The discussion brought together perspectives from across foodservice, investment and conservation.
Kevin Watson
Sustainability Director, Levy
Delivering resilience and sourcing change at operational scale across major UK venues
Louisa Burwood-Taylor
Chief Communications Officer, AgFunder
Where global capital and innovation see risk building before it reaches corporate strategy
Sophie Bauer
Head of Food System Transformation, WWF-UK
Nature, accountability and what is changing in UK retailer supply chains
Ana Cuddeford
Head of Investor Engagement, Inside Track
How investors and boards read risk, and what makes them act on it
Kate Cawley
Founder, Future Food Movement
Connecting commercial decisions to the wider forces reshaping food
What we explored
What these risks meant for 2027 planning
How risks connect
We looked at regulatory, climate, water and supply chain risks together.
Where the pressure could land
We explored how those risks could compound across procurement, finance and commercial strategy.
Which regulatory timelines mattered
The session covered HFSS, Extended Producer Responsibility, EU deforestation requirements and human rights due diligence.
How to bring risk into business planning
We considered how risk could shape budgets, resource allocation and board conversations.
Where businesses might be underestimating exposure
We asked the audience what risks businesses were overlooking and what they expected would drive change.
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