The two-day tour, which saw hospitality leaders visit three farms and Harper Adams University’s School of Sustainable Food and Farming, also gave participants insights into the need for resilient farming businesses, and the role of productivity in addressing sustainability challenges.
Platform for debate
The tour provided a platform for debate about the critical issues of sustainability within the food supply chain, highlighting how different farming systems are adapting and responding to the climate and environmental challenges farmers are facing.
It emphasised the crucial need for collaboration between the hospitality industry and the farming community to help improve commercial returns while, at the same time, helping to build a resilient, sustainable food system.
Building closer relationships
“British food is already some of the most sustainable in the world and our farmers and growers want to do more. Supply chain collaboration is central in enabling this”
Bethan Cowell, NFU senior policy specialist in foodservice and procurement
Bethan Cowell, NFU senior policy specialist in foodservice and procurement, said: “From farm to fork, the supply chain has a shared ambition for a more sustainable and resilient food system.
“Building greater understanding and closer relationships between food producers and hospitality businesses – the two ends of the supply chain – is vital to achieving this ambition.
“British food is already some of the most sustainable in the world and our farmers and growers want to do more. Supply chain collaboration is central in enabling this, and I’m really pleased to provide this opportunity to foster such important relationships.”
Empowering hospitality leaders
David Read, chairman of Prestige Purchasing, said: “The tour aims to empower hospitality leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed and commercially viable decisions about their supply chains, ultimately leading to improved food quality, enhanced sustainability, and long-term cost savings.”
The farm study tour represents a significant step forward in the quest for a more sustainable and equitable food system within the hospitality sector.
By fostering collaboration between hospitality leaders and farmers, this innovative programme has the potential to provide the foundation for real positive change in the way hospitality provides better food for its millions of diners every year.
"The tour aims to empower hospitality leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed and commercially viable decisions about their supply chains"
David Read, chairman, Prestige Purchasing