The Cold Chain Federation has launched a white paper warning that growing pressures on the UK cold chain are increasing risks to food security, public health and economic resilience.
The report, The Critical Link: A Resilience Strategy for Protecting UK Food Supply Against Growing Threats to the Cold Chain, sets out ten recommendations, including recognition of the cold chain as Critical National Infrastructure.
The white paper identifies energy instability, cyber-attacks, climate impacts, labour shortages and global supply chain disruption as risks placing pressure on critical food supply infrastructure. It says disruptions could affect food availability, affordability and access to essential products, particularly for vulnerable communities.
The Cold Chain Federation says the cold chain supports 184,000 jobs and underpins food supply across supermarkets, restaurants, schools, foodbanks, hospitals and home deliveries. The recommendations focus on preparedness and response planning, cold chain consideration in food security policy, and recognition within national resilience planning.
The launch event included remarks from Phil Pluck, CEO of the Cold Chain Federation, and Tom Southall, Deputy CEO. A panel discussion chaired by Southall included Pluck, Professor Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London, and Kristopher Gibbon-Walsh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of FareShare and The Felix Project.
“By failing to act on food resilience planning in the UK, the government are failing to protect life essential food supplies to the UK public. The world is growing more and more unstable, and with that instability comes very real risks to food supplies from both the UK and globally,” said Phil Pluck, CEO, Cold Chain Federation. “Having created the strategy, now is the time for the government to act, and fast.”
