What’s with all the beef: does the food system really have an appetite for change?
2 MINUTE READ
What’s with all the beef: does the food system really have an appetite for change?
Why is change not happening faster towards a sustainable food system?
The no-bull answer: because the current system is profitable for the people who run it. The bulk of farm subsidies still flow to the highest-emission products, incumbents lobby to keep the rules as they are, and the costs of inaction sit on someone else’s balance sheet. We’ve not arrived here by accident.
At London Climate Action Week 2026, we brought together experts with diverse perspectives to discuss what it will take to fix our broken food system. With Nigel Salter, Co-Founder of SB+CO, as moderator, the panellists included:
Dr Benjamin Bodirsky, Senior Scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Lucie Smith, Lead, One Planet Business for Biodiversity, WBCSD
Cathrine Varming, Senior Director, Sustainability Innovation & Development, Arla Foods
Nick Wyver, Consultancy Director, SB+CO, part of SLR Consulting.
They shared success stories from different parts of the value chain, showing us what a different approach looks like, from how farmers are paid to what’s on the menu.
The message was clear. The food industry has transformed what the world eats once already, but in the wrong direction. It’s up to us now to turn that round.
Our read and watch list
Our white paper brings together insights from our panellists on the actions that actually create change, and includes our ‘No-bull’ takeaways. Download it below.
Dr Benjamin Bodirsky tells us about the biggest drivers of change for a more sustainable food system - one which is also better for human health and improves social justice.
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Get in touch:
If you’d like to discuss the insights from the white paper, we’d love to hear from you.
Nick Wyver
Director of Consulting | SB+CO