Veris Strategies

"At the heart of this strategy must be a radically different approach to the food industry." Today’s hot topic is the newly published UK House of Lords Food, Diet, and Obesity Committee report, "Recipe for Health: A Plan to Fix Our Broken System." This report, driven by 150 submissions from organisations across the food system, lays out crucial recommendations. If you're a business, what are the big recommendations you need to know about? 🍏 Strategy: Calls for a long-term integrated plan on food and the FSA to have full and independent oversight 🍏Reporting: making large food businesses report on the healthiness of their sales and tightening up on lobbying with businesses that derive more than a defined share of sales from less healthy products not included from any discussions on the formation of policy 🍏Tax and incentives: A salt and sugar reformulation tax on food manufacturers 🍏Advertising: banning the advertising of less healthy food across all media by the end of this Parliament In my opinion, what should food and drink brands, manufacturers, and retailers do now? 👉 Experts: Collaborate closely with those who can help you understand and navigate these challenges in your business. Long term strategies and shifts are needed, Veris Strategies 👉Skills: Upskill teams to help them understand, engage and build confidence on how the food industry is adapting Future Food Movement 👉Risk: Proactively explore the risks of some of these recommendations coming into play - what will it do to your portfolio and consumers? 👉Collaborate: Speak to NGO's and others across the industry. They can help you make progress and take leadership positions 👉Innovators: Lots of new ideas coming into the market, get close to the them and embrace entrepreneurs and disruptors who will help drive change

I’m incredibly proud to kick off our Supper Club series with the trailblazing Anya Doherty from Foodsteps 😊 Tech, innovation, and actionable solutions are what the food industry needs right now, and I’ve seen firsthand how Foodsteps is leading the way.   If we’re serious about reshaping the future of food, we need to close the climate skills gap and we need robust ways of handling data.   It’s fantastic to partner with a mission-aligned business that shares our vision for a sustainable future. 👋 Want to join us at our first Supper Club? You’ll need to be a Future Food Movement member – comment below and we'll send you details. 

The good, the bad, and the ugly of sustainable comms 🚨 🗯 My top takeaways from the Future Food Movement Food System Transformation Huddle: 👉 Navigate with confidence: Food companies, in particular, often face scrutiny regarding green claims. But when sustainability messaging is clear and data-backed, it opens doors for innovation and connection. 👉 Treat sustainability like a business plan—set clear KPIs, track your progress, and openly share both wins and setbacks.      👉 Find the sweet spot between simplicity and detail in your comms. Bold creativity and human stories are key to making sustainability messaging stick and drive meaningful engagement. 👉 Finally, we need to take a true systems view and consider how our communication strategies can positively affect change for every stakeholder, from farmers to consumers. True thought leadership lies in being less inward-looking and more outward-focused. A huge thanks to our fantastic speakers for sharing their honest and practical insights on sustainability and communications, from their unique perspectives: 🌟 Guy Parker - Chief Executive, Advertising Standards Authority  🌟 Julia Glotz - Food & Drink Writer and Editor, former Editor at The Grocer  🌟 Katrina Anderson - Principal Associate, Mills & Reeve  🌟 Lucy Hunt - Communications Director, Compass Group UK & Ireland UK&I  🌟 Marie Rumsby - Director of Communications and Advocacy, The Fairtrade Foundation   Thank you to everyone that joined us!    Members, log in to the portal to catch up and access actionable insights from each speaker 🎯 https://lnkd.in/eMrZGnfD   💥 For businesses who need strategic guidance on communications and thought leadership we can connect you with our sister business and colleagues at Veris Strategies who are market leaders in this area 💡   See you at the next one on November 14th 🗓️ Link in the comments to sign up, speakers revealed very soon 👀

🚨 Supporting and bringing consumers with us is key 🔑 to unlocking food system transformation. 💳 Cost is the top priority, sustainability is secondary. 🥗 Health-conscious choices are rising, convenience is key. 🛒 Local and premium products are increasingly valued. 🌳 Sustainability matters, but greenwashing won't pass. How do these align with the industry enablers and what is needed to strengthen demand and build the capabilities needed? 👉 Our latest explainer graphic lays this out for you here https://lnkd.in/ean2zNb8 👉 Our consumer conversation deep dive in collaboration with Sweet Spot unpacks what this means in reality for your food business. Access it through #Veriscope, the industry's essential ESG insight and intelligence here - https://lnkd.in/eKdF_4Vq #FoodIndustryInsight #ESGInsight #Consumers #FoodTrends #FoodSystemTransformation #Veriscope Future Food Movement

Self-reflection prompt for food industry leaders: Are you a doer or a ditherer? Writing in #Footprint, our founder Kate Cawley challenges the food industry to take more decisive action to transform our broken food system – as uncomfortable as it might be.  True progress demands more than just metrics and waiting for perfect data; it requires braver thinking and future-focused action. To get there, lean into four transformation enablers: Influence ➡ to drive systemic transformation, not just tick box compliance Skills 💡 on climate and systems thinking embedded across workforces, customers and supply chains. Partnerships 🤝 among companies, supply chains and policymakers. Finance 💷 to ensure investment in long-term resilience and sustainability. Time to stop hesitating and start leading the change. Read the full piece here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e9eTW7jQ  For more insights that go deeper to help you navigate what food system transformation means for your food business, subscribe to Veriscope. https://lnkd.in/eKdF_4Vq  #Sustainability #FoodTransformation #Leadership #Footprint

𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝. ‘The food system is broken.’ So why haven’t we made serious progress yet? What needs to change, and what’s holding us back? 🤔 The facts are.. 1. Incremental change isn’t enough: Small improvements (less plastic, less carbon) won’t cut it. We need radical change by 2030. 2. Transformation is uncomfortable: New skills, partnerships, and investments are required. It won’t be easy, but standing still isn't an option. 3. Stop hiding behind data: ESG metrics are important, but real transformation requires bold steps beyond data. 4. Leaders must be brave: CEOs have the responsibility to drive this change now—sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity are non-negotiable. Change is nothing new to the food sector, and that’s why I’m confident we can change it again. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 💥 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. Thanks for sharing Footprint (article linked in the comments). Let’s chat about unlocking action in your role and transforming your business. 🚀 Reach out!

Self-reflection prompt for food industry leaders: Are you a doer or a ditherer? Writing in #Footprint, our founder Kate Cawley challenges the food industry to take more decisive action to transform our broken food system – as uncomfortable as it might be.  True progress demands more than just metrics and waiting for perfect data; it requires braver thinking and future-focused action. To get there, lean into four transformation enablers: Influence ➡ to drive systemic transformation, not just tick box compliance Skills 💡 on climate and systems thinking embedded across workforces, customers and supply chains. Partnerships 🤝 among companies, supply chains and policymakers. Finance 💷 to ensure investment in long-term resilience and sustainability. Time to stop hesitating and start leading the change. Read the full piece here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e9eTW7jQ  For more insights that go deeper to help you navigate what food system transformation means for your food business, subscribe to Veriscope. https://lnkd.in/eKdF_4Vq  #Sustainability #FoodTransformation #Leadership #Footprint

What do we mean by food systems transformation and how can we get there? At Veris, we know the future food system must benefit the environment, society and producers. 🧭 Where can food businesses have the most impact? 📍At the intersections of these three groups. How can we accelerate this transformation to reach... 🌱 Climate and nature-positive production. 🍽 Nutritious, delicious diets for all. ⚖ Fair, inclusive work environments. Through these four key enablers: 🤝 Partnerships 📣 Influence 💷 Finance 💡 Skills How is your business adapting to these meet the intersecting needs of a better food system? Download Veris' 'The Food System We Need' explainer graphic to spark conversation and strategic thinking in your teams. ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eGj3sJYu Subscribe to Veriscope for more in-depth ESG insights and first grabs of other decoder graphics like this - https://lnkd.in/dTuVg2qZ #FoodSystemTransformation #HealthySustainableFoodSystems #FoodSystemsGraphic #Environment #Society #GrowersAndMakers #Veriscope #FoodIndustryInsight Future Food Movement

"Children’s health and planetary health naturally go together. And big food companies are hurting both." - Edda, 15, Bite Back Bite Back shared their latest report last week: Fuel Us Don't Food Us focusing on food manufacturers, and asking 'How far can we trust the food giants with planetary health?' They've reported that although the top 10 global food and drink manufacturers operating in the UK have short-term targets to reduce emissions by 2030, many of these targets are not ambitious enough to limit global warming to +1.5°C and achieve net zero by 2050. In fact, in 2022, the top 10 food and drink manufacturers emitted more greenhouse gases than the whole of the UK. A sharp reminder to all food businesses that ⚡accountability is essential, ⚡ambition is key and ⚡action now is critical. Read the report here 👇 📌 Want advice or support on what this means to your business – drop us a line at hello@veris-strategies.co.uk #FoodManufacturers #FoodAndClimate #SBTi #ClimateTargets #NetZero #BiteBack

🚨 The latest edition of Veriscope is here and it’s a must-read for anyone in the food sector! 🚨 We’re diving further into food system transformation, the four industry enablers and what motivates consumers. 🌍 Food must be at the spotlight of the sustainability conversation. Time to bring transformation front and center. With insights on Disclosure & Reporting and Climate Checkpoints for meat, dairy, and plant-based sectors, this edition is packed with everything you need to: 🚨 Act Now, 👀Watch Closely, 💡Use to Inform Strategy, 🔮and be mindful of for Future Signals. Don’t miss out on the ESG insight and intelligence essential to your food business.  👉 Explore our subscription options for your bi-monthly copy of Veriscope, as well as virtual or in-person live insight sessions here - https://lnkd.in/eKdF_4Vq 👉 Email us at hello@veris-strategies.co.uk to set up your subscription. #FoodSystemChange #FutureFitFoodSystem #FoodTransition #ClimateCrisis #HealthySustainableDiets #Veriscope #FoodIndustry Kate Cawley; Future Food Movement; Siân Wynn-Jones; David Burrows; Jessica Channings; Ali Morpeth (RNutr); Sweet Spot