Impact and Engagement
Since 2022, the AFN Network+ has brought together more than 3,000 people from across the UK food system including researchers, farmers, businesses, policymakers and community organisations, to tackle the challenge of creating a more sustainable, resilient UK food system.
We’ve created spaces for meaningful conversation and collaboration. Through more than 30 webinars, three major annual gatherings and regular newsletters, we’ve connected people who wouldn’t normally meet and helped them share ideas and expertise. Nearly 20,000 people have engaged with our events, either attending live or watching afterwards.
Developing a Roadmap
In 2025 we published a proposed pathway for a more resilient and sustainable UK food system. The Roadmap for Resilience: A UK Food Plan for 2050 proposed a transformation across three core areas: more resilient agriculture, smarter land use and healthier diets. The report was developed with expertise from across research disciplines, industry sectors, and the wider network membership. It was launched at an event in Westminster and received widespread national media coverage.
The Roadmap was developed using quantitative modelling and a set of four scenarios for what UK food and farming might look like in 2050. The Scenarios have been widely used by government departments and other organisations planning for the future.
“It’s a really important contribution and I think it will be really helpful… it’s actually brought it together in a really powerful way and I’m sure my colleagues will be looking at it very closely….My reflection is that I remain optimistic that this work is doable, but it needs this kind of work to make it happen”.
Find out more about the Roadmap
Read the full report and summary briefings, watch presentations from our launch event and find out more about how the Roadmap was developed.
Sharing knowledge and insights
The Network produces an extensive range of resources including webinars and podcasts, newsletters and briefings and digests of new research and reports. Our Resource Hub has become a valuable resource for people across agri-food. The webinars in particular are an excellent way to explore issues of the moment (sometimes difficult ones), provide access to experts in their field and build awareness of the Network.
“…your work has enhanced my ability to do my job. And am very grateful to you for getting important policy translated out to people like myself so we can try to deliver change on the ground”
“I wasn’t even aware of half of these reports, let alone having enough time to go and read them. Another really good thing that the AFN Network+ are doing!”
Creating a diverse Network
Our aim as a Network is to build an open, diverse and inclusive community of members, that sparks new relationships, as well as strengthening existing ones, between stakeholders across agri-food.
Read how our members have been inspired, supported, and connected through the Network:
Find out more about our approach to creating a diverse and inclusive network
Seed funding the future
We’ve funded more than 50 projects, addressing some of the critical challenges we face as we work towards a more sustainable food system, from improving access to healthy, low-emission food, to supporting farmers navigating the path to net zero.
Scoping study grants brought together multidisciplinary teams, with academics working alongside food system stakeholders. FlexFund grants were open to any member of the Network for engagement and knowledge exchange activities that explore, develop and trialled solutions to tackle any unsustainable greenhouse gas emitting practices of the agri-food system.
Our funding supporting new collaborations has resulted in major follow-on funding, including a £1.7 million project on sustainable poultry farming.
Read about some of the projects we’ve funded:
You can find a full list of the projects we have funded on our Funded Projects page.
“The Big Tent event has been the best networking opportunity I’ve ever been to.”
