Welcome to the first in our Sustainability Trailblazer series. Mike Barry is a Sustainability Changemaker, Former Director of Sustainable Business at M&S and co-chair Sustainability CGF.
What’s your take on our current food system?
I think we need a profoundly different approach to producing food. People are beginning to wake up to the risk and vulnerabilities of the world’s food supply chain.
So, what’s going wrong?
Our food system is causing a lot of environmental and social damage. The way we produce food is simply not sustainable anymore. This is not only bad for the planet, but bad for us. The negative impacts of producing food when you consider factors like carbon emissions, water use, soil depletion and biodiversity loss – these are all having a disportionate effect on the availability of food.
What does this mean for your average food shopper?
Well, trust is a big issue. Although there is a high level of trust generally within the UK food system, consumer expectations are intensifying when it comes to food integrity. A lot of that is about personal health and wellbeing as we demand more nutritious and affordable food. But it is also about sustainability, so where the palm oil in that product is being sourced from or the animal welfare standards behind that label.
So are consumers starting to care more?
Yes, I think so. One emerging trend that will drive consumers to really care, or participate more, is the personalisation of diet – working out what the ingredients in the food they eat means for their personal health. And this will inevitably lead to greater interest in where and how your unique ‘shopping’ basket was produced. That will be the real breakthrough.
How might that change the shopping experience?
I think in the future people will be able to link their personal DNA profile with the basket of food that they buy. It’s still an emerging concept and one under explored by the food industry, but people will increasingly want to personalise their food choices in a way that’s quick and easy when they are in the supermarket aisles.
What will give us that type of personalised data?
It could come from an on-pack barcode you scan with your smartwatch or phone. Imagine linking not only your DNA profile, but your personal fitness profile – your calories and micro-nutrients – to your weekly food shop through a simple user interface like an Apple watch. Suddenly you've got a proposition that can fulfill the ultimate consumer need of being happy, healthy and living a longer life.
Is this something that food companies should fear or embrace?
It’s not something to fear. We already have the technology to do this – I believe market-based competition and innovation will make it happen.
If this is the future of food, what does that mean for British farming?
British farmers need to remember they have a great story to tell. Our food standards are very high compared to the rest of the world – not just in terms of safety, but when it comes to contributing to the bigger picture like rural sustainability, animal welfare and soil management.
Telling that story is key, isn’t it?
Definitely! The more open farmers and producers can be about how they source their ingredients and make their products, the more people will take an interest in, and value, what’s on their plate. My advice is: don’t be afraid to take the consumer on that journey. What Cranswick is doing with its Second Nature platform is a great example of that.
Follow Mike Barry on Twitter: @planamikebarry