BMPA: Is the meat industry ready for what's coming?
The memo, which brings together insights from professionals representing companies behind over half of the UK’s grocery sales, is not alarmist for effect. It is precise, data-backed, and deeply concerned about the failure to respond to fast-moving environmental changes that are already disrupting sourcing and feed production.
"Yield, quality, and predictability of supply from many of our most critical sourcing regions is not something we will be able to rely upon over the coming years", the memo points out.
"Already in Spain drought and flooding have directly impacted our ability to source salad, tomatoes and broccoli. [...] Global shocks have had significant impact on cocoa, coffee and sunflower oil [...] moving forward it is a more fundamental issue of ability to reliably source quality produce or commodities".
Why does this matter for meat? Because the ingredients that underpin feedstock - from soy and maize to oilseeds - are grown in precisely the regions already feeling the pressure. If the feed becomes more expensive, more volatile, or simply unavailable, the impact ripples across the supply chain, from farm to processor to retailer.
The memo criticises the over-reliance on "wishful strategy" - plans to "just source from somewhere else" - noting that these plans are underdeveloped and unrealistic in a world where every nation and company will be scrambling for alternatives at the same time.
"We cannot all source everything from somewhere else at a time when other companies and other countries are seeking to do the same".
For our sector, this is a call to take risk analysis beyond compliance. The challenges outlined - soil degradation, climate disruption, water scarcity - are not decades away. They’re affecting harvests now, tightening margins, and introducing instability into supply chains that rely on consistency.
The group argues that this isn’t just a problem for listed companies or global brands. Whether you run a regional abattoir or a nationwide processing business, the question is the same: are your sourcing models and resilience plans fit for the future?
The call to action is for investors and lenders to ask tougher questions of suppliers and industry associations. Are we investing enough in feed resilience? Are we collaborating enough as a sector to protect shared interests? And what would it look like to prepare for shocks with the urgency we showed during COVID?
The memo ends not with despair, but a challenge: "We are proud professionals... this is not a divestment campaign, it is a call for engagement". The threat to UK food security is something BMPA has been cautioning about for some time and we and our members stand ready to work with the Government to strengthen and grow Britain's domestic food security.
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