Assessing priorities for food systems transformation among UK alternative actors

Abstract

Food systems actors are key enablers or barriers to transformation toward social and ecological sustainability. We mapped 1422 UK food system actors across different sub-sectors, scales, organisational levels, and specialisms. We then surveyed the priorities for transformation (n = 1190 text responses) among a cross-section of this group (n = 372) and conducted quantitative and qualitative thematic analysis. Of the 58 identified priorities, most frequent were those regarding agroecological, organic and regenerative production, the localisation of food systems, reducing animal sourced foods and dietary change, and addressing power relations. Less frequent were those related to technology and innovation. We highlight potential positive and negative outcomes of these priorities and compare results with England’s Food Strategy White Paper and recommendations from global food systems reports. We close by offering a concrete set of 15 priorities for food systems transformation to be taken forward by policy and practice.