Rethinking our approach to action

Our food system is extraordinary but this cannot hide the challenges in the next five years. By Ali Morpeth and Mike Barry.

The food system is the beating heart of society. It feeds us, fuels economies and sustains all life on earth. But beneath its vital role lies a complex and increasingly fragile web of challenges. From rising greenhouse gas emissions to the collapse of biodiversity and prolific diet-related health crises, the system designed to nourish us is leaving people and the planet on the verge of collapse.

It’s easy to forget how extraordinary the food system is. But it’s also easy to overlook how urgent the challenges are. We need to rethink the purpose of our food system entirely and move from a position of ‘a little less bad year on year’ to a transformative approach rooted in resilience. And this means joining the dots between our health and the planet’s.

For too long, businesses have treated health and sustainability as separate agendas – health initiatives often ignoring environmental impacts and sustainability strategies overlooking human wellbeing. Yet, growing evidence shows that diets beneficial for human health can also enhance planetary health, presenting a clear opportunity to align efforts. And by bridging these traditionally siloed areas, businesses can unlock new pathways to deliver measurable results. 

For example, leveraging SKU-level data has proven to be a powerful tool for optimising supply chains and driving climate-smart, healthy product development. This approach paves the way for future consumer-facing innovations, like basket-level propositions that balance customer health, profit margins, and environmental and social performance. We are starting to see organisations move into this space: Lidl’s newly launched planetary diet strategy is one example, but those that do are still the exception rather than the norm. 

True transformation requires businesses to embrace collaboration – not just within their organisations, but across the entire value chain. By partnering with suppliers, producers and distributors, businesses can share both risks and opportunities, fostering a collective approach to innovation. These partnerships are particularly crucial for de-risking bold, unconventional approaches to food production, such as regenerative agriculture, alternative proteins or closed-loop systems.

When businesses work together across the value chain, they unlock the potential to pilot and scale solutions that no single entity could achieve alone. It’s about sharing responsibility and ensuring everyone – from growers to retailers – has a stake in building a resilient, sustainable future.

In truth, this joining up of human and planetary health across business isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity. The food system is haemorrhaging value at every turn, externalising its costs into ecosystems and healthcare while supply chains become ever more fragile. We’ve normalised these losses, but in doing so, we have allowed a system to run ragged that is literally unsustainable in the long term.

For Planeatry Alliance, the solution lies in addressing these interconnected crises as one. Fixing one part of the system without addressing the others is like trying to repair a house while ignoring its foundations. The businesses that lead today by integrating health, sustainability and commerce will not only drive the transition to a more resilient system but also secure their place in a sustainable, thriving future.

For those ready to lead, the opportunities are vast and the rewards will shape a better future for all. The food system is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but it’s also one of our greatest vulnerabilities. If we get this right, the benefits will ripple across every part of society – for people, planet and the businesses that connect them.

Mike Barry and Ali Morpeth are co-founders of Planeatry Alliance


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