Wholesale should be recognised as a critical national infrastructure, FWD says

A new report, Roadmap for Resilience in the UK Food Supply Chain, which was presented to Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner (above left) by Food & Drink Wholesale (FWD) last week, sets out recommendations to strengthen the food supply chain, champion British produce, support public health and back the businesses that keep shelves and kitchens stocked across the UK.

It recommends taking a whole-system view of the food supply chain, recognising the essential role food and drink wholesalers play in delivering healthy, affordable and sustainable food to every corner of the country, FWD says.

At the heart of the report is a recommendation to treat the food supply chain as critical national infrastructure, with wholesalers recognised as a strategic sector in food resilience planning.

In recent years, the UK’s food system has faced enormous pressures, ranging from Covid to rising energy prices, which have placed wholesalers on the frontline. With businesses now operating in an increasingly uncertain world, FWD argues that a resilient, reliable food supply chain is essential to ensuring the UK’s economic stability, security and public health.

Amongst its 15 recommendations, the report also calls for the UK Government to provide consistent UK-wide policy frameworks and exempt food and drink wholesalers from proposed business rate increases, which would severely threaten economic growth.

FWD will be working with policymakers over the coming months to support the development of the Food Strategy and champion the issues most pertinent to wholesalers, who are often the unsung heroes of the food system.

Commenting on the launch of the report, FWD’s CEO, James Bielby (above right), said: “Wholesalers are the vital link that connects growers, producers and manufacturers with the restaurants, retailers and more that feed the nation every day. Our members operate at the heart of the supply chain, ensuring food reaches every corner of the country reliably, efficiently, and safely.

“At [our report’s] heart is a call for recognition of wholesale as a strategic part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. We believe this will enable our sector to play a full and active part in delivering a resilient food supply chain in support of the Government’s number one ambition – to drive economic growth.”

For more information visit the FWD website here.