Webinar – The Power of the Public Plate: How public food can transform the food system

Wednesday 21st January 2026, 2:00–3:00pm

In the UK, 1 in 20 meals served is paid for by the government — in schools, hospitals, prisons, and care homes. That’s an enormous amount of purchasing power, but are we using it well? The ‘public plate’ could be a powerful lever for food system transformation, connecting what we buy and serve to public health, climate goals, and local food economies. Yet too often, public food is seen as a cost to minimise rather than an investment in people and place.  Our speakers will be delving into this for us.

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FlexFund findings: Emissions data undervalues organic & local food

A lack of carbon literacy can be an obstacle for net zero journeys even for large businesses with fully staffed sustainability teams. But for smaller retailers that prioritise locally-grown or organic food, the challenges are manifold. Ethical retail network Better Food Traders set out to address this, with funding from AFN Network+, and to better understand how these businesses contribute to net zero. To do this, they worked with an SME food retailer to calculate a baseline year of carbon emissions associated with their operations, as well as compiling knowledge from 32 other small businesses, five sustainability consultants and analysis of carbon frameworks.

The project found that currently available tools are not sufficient for local food businesses to produce a reliable footprint. As project lead Hattie Hammans puts it: “We’ve found out that most carbon calculations significantly overestimate the Scope 3 emissions associated with domestic, organic food, thus revealing a research gap that urgently needs to be addressed.”

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Impact profile: Beckie Lait

The latest in our series of impact profiles features a final year PhD researcher with the Fix Our Food programme, at the University of York.

“One of the biggest impacts of the AFN Network+ for me has been the connections. Sometimes as a PhD researcher you are doing independent work, so being part of a network has helped me connect directly with interesting and important people, who I have then gone on to interview for my research.”

Read more 

Workshop: Justice as Catalyst for Food Systems Transformation Workshop –

Tuesday 20th January 2026, Birmingham

*This is now fully booked but we’re looking forward to sharing updates on the progress we make at the meeting – Stay tuned!*

Food systems transformation is technically feasible – so why isn’t it happening? The EAT-Lancet 2025 report positions justice not just as a desirable outcome, but as the essential mechanism that makes transformation possible. Without addressing power imbalances and structural inequalities, transformation won’t happen.

Building on the AFN Network+ Roadmap for Resilience: A UK food plan for 2050, this workshop will develop a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) framework for considering farming, land use change and healthy eating. We will also identify better ways of embedding marginalised voices in decision-making and design future activities accordingly. Participants interested in joining a steering board to guide this process will have an opportunity to learn more.

News from the wider agri-food sector

Events

Webinar – Britain Talks Farming: How people think and feel about farming

Wednesday 21 Jan 2026, 3-4pm

Climate Outreach released their Britain Talks Climate and Nature research in September 2025. They surveyed over 7,000 people and ran focus groups drawn from all of More In Common’s new segmentation of British society. The research found, among other things, that we are a nation of nature lovers and care about our environment, but trust in politics is collapsing and climate action has an image problem. On 21st January at 3pm they will be releasing specific insights from this research focusing on public attitudes to farming.

Register now to join 

From Soya to Sustainability 2026

Wednesday 28th January, 9am to 3:30pm

A landmark conference exploring innovative strategies to enhance pulse production and their use in livestock diets. This event will feature thought-provoking keynote speakers (including AFN CoLead Neil Ward), Expert panel discussion & Networking opportunities.

Discover cutting-edge approaches to reducing reliance on soya and improving sustainability in UK farming.

Book your place

Sustainable Foods 2026

28th – 29th January 2026

Building on last year’s sold-out edition, the Sustainable Foods Conference returns with expanded programming designed to spark action and deliver impact. This year, there will be:

• Four dynamic content stages featuring industry-defining keynotes, strategic panels, and hands-on workshops.
• A brand-new NextGen Stage spotlighting breakthrough solutions from the most promising startups.
• Curated 1-2-1 meetings to power partnerships and accelerate innovation.
• VIP roundtables for deeper dialogue and decision-making.

Register 

Reports

Food for the Future: A Framework for Action

A new report, Food for the Future: A Framework for Action, released through a collaboration between the FixOurFood programme and North Yorkshire Council, outlines a unified strategy for systemic food reform. The report highlights NorthYorkshire, home to the highest concentration of food and drink businesses in the UK, as an ideal test bed for tackling complex challenges like high obesity rates (61% of adults) and food insecurity. The Framework champions a place-based, systemic approach, linking agriculture, health, education, and the economy to create a resilient food system that promotes both human and environmental health.

Read the full report here

Your views needed

Navigating Sustainability Survey

This survey has been designed to gain feedback on a project that is being developed to support farmers and relevant stakeholders in navigating holistic farm sustainability. The project is part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the Sustainable Food Trust (through the Global Farm Metric) and the University of Reading. The survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and is exploring the questions;

• How is holistic farm sustainability is understood?
• What resources could help move from awareness to action?

(All data will be anonymised for analysis and participants will have the option to be entered into a prize draw for a £50 Natoora voucher)

Please find the survey at this link (deadline for responses is 4th Feb)