woman carrying vegetables and facing a field with trees

Food Security in a Climate-Changed World: A Shared Vision for National Security

ByElta Smith

The UK’s food and farming systems reached a crossroads with the release of the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget (CB7). Energy, manufacturing, and other sectors are decarbonizing, leaving agriculture as the UK’s second-highest emitting sector by 2040, accounting for 27% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. This raises a fundamental question about our food system…

Hands being shaken

When Systems Resist Change: Lessons for Food System Transformation

ByElta Smith

“Healthcare systems and hospitals are usually inert to most forces that try to get them to change,” observed a former UK government civil servant in a recent study I co-authored examining climate and health policy. “They are built to be incredibly stable and resilient systems, and do a very, very good job of resisting the…

Close-up of hands planting a seedling

Cultivating Change: Seeds of Food System Transformation

ByElta Smith

Where can we find inspiration for food systems transformation? In recent years, Wales and Scotland have emerged as pioneers in progressive governance and food policy, challenging conventional approaches to wellbeing and sustainability. But why focus on Wales and Scotland? Unburdened by the inertia that often plagues larger countries, they’ve shown a willingness to experiment with…

two people holding a box of vegetables in a field

A food systems manifesto for the next UK government

ByElta Smith

As the UK looks ahead to the next election, food and farming policy has emerged as a critical issue. How we grow, process, distribute, and consume food has far-reaching impacts. Our current food system faces significant challenges, from environmental degradation and climate change to health inequalities and food insecurity. To address these complex and interconnected…