The UK imports more groceries than it exports, through a network of global and complex supply chains. As national politics and trade become increasingly turbulent, and extreme weather events and rapid climate change become the norm, it is important to test and identify improvements to the grocery supply chains that will ensure the resilience of a country’s food sources.
In the face of growing risk and context of preparing to leave the European Union, can Britain improve its ability to reduce the impact of potential disruption? Through an industry survey and supply chain mapping, we look at both the resilience of the food supply chains, worth £185bn in 2017, and the critical infrastructure they rely upon heavily.
The report also includes practical advice on some of the tools and techniques used by Arup that can be used to assess supply chain resilience and provides a practical example of analysing national and industry infrastructure.
