On 28 May, 3Keel’s Julia Martin and Ella Robbins joined a remarkable gathering of minds at Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) for the 3rd Agri-Food Supply Chain Resilience Workshop. From academics and industry leaders to policy-makers and farmers, the room buzzed with the kind of collaborative energy that reminds you why this work matters.

In this article, Julia shares the ideas they absorbed and offers takeaways for shaping future action to build resilient food systems.

Setting the scene: a global moment for agri-food

The day kicked off with a timely reminder: agriculture will take centre stage at COP30 this November in Belém. Former FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Assistant Director, Dr Rene Salazar Castro, set a powerful tone, drawing on Costa Rica’s success in reforestation. He offered a clear message; the future of agriculture in Latin America hinges on cooperation, especially within the livestock sector, as it sustains the livelihoods of millions of people. A centralised offset market for reforestation might be a practical, short-term approach.

Following him, Fernando Mattos Costa, former Minister of Agriculture for Uruguay, stressed that Latin America’s agri-food ecosystem is not just unique, it’s delicate. Any hope for a just transition in the region must put farmers and ranchers at the centre, backed by institutional coordination and tech-driven innovation, which could drive agricultural efficiency and unlock a Net Zero future.

Voices from the field and farm

One of the most grounding moments of the day came from Mark Exelby, a smallholder farmer from Grewelthorpe, UK. Mark didn’t mince words: UK farmers are struggling. Generational knowledge gaps, limited access to support, and a lack of trust in policy are leaving many behind in the sustainability conversation. His call for an independent advisory body to help farmers navigate this fast-evolving landscape struck a chord.

Meanwhile, John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, reminded us that resilience doesn’t stop at the farm gate. The non-food manufacturing sector has its own sustainability journey, and there’s real potential to build cross-sector alliances that make supply chains more robust across the board.

Innovation meets urgency

Several standout speakers illustrated how technology is pushing boundaries in agri-food.

• • Dr Andrew Spicer (CEO, Algenuity) gave a fascinating look into how algae fermentation is revolutionising sustainable protein production.
  • Professor Simon Pearson (University of Lincoln) and Kiran Srirama (Google Cloud) underscored the rise of AI in agri-food, from predictive analytics in deforestation to farm robotics.
  • Dana Clouston (Barclays) anchored these advances in financial reality, urging that more than £1 trillion of investment is needed to meet the UK’s Net Zero target by 2050 and that farmers must be at the heart of that investment story.
  • Priscilla Chaves (Cargill) highlighted the importance of supporting the unique agri-food dynamics of the Americas, especially through innovation in sustainable proteins.

Workshop roundtable – key themes and takeaways

We joined a panel workshop alongside Dr Salazar, Dr Costa, Professor Pearson, and Dr Spicer, with the focus on four key questions around accessibility, functionality, and affordability in agri-food supply chains, the strategies to address these issues, the policy mechanisms to support them, and priority areas for COP30.

The discussion was rich and nuanced but what stood out most was a consensus. Farmers must be included in these conversations, and they must be equipped and empowered. Overall, the key takeaways from the workshop aligned with overarching themes of the day:

1. Farmers need support, not just strategy
   UK farmers are navigating a complex funding and regulatory landscape that is very difficult to navigate without support. They need trusted, independent guidance. This support is urgent.
2. Regenerative agriculture, AI, and nature-based solutions lead the field
   Whether academic or industrial, actors across the board are aligning behind these key themes.
3. Latin America’s role is pivotal
   Any sustainability strategy here must work with the region’s beef sector, not against it. Promoting more transparency in embedded soy supply chains and drawing together strategies for emissions off-sets via progressive reforestation are rapidly emerging opportunities.
4. The farmer transition must be central to climate policy
   Social equity within ESG strategies at the corporate and regional/international policy levels, will be key for ensuring a fair farmer transition in a future-ready agri-food supply chain.

The workshop emphasised the need for greater accountability and transparency – to meet the demands of reporting and legislation. This overlaps significantly with the work done in two of our teams. 3Keel’s Commodity Supply Chains team works extensively with companies that source forest-risk commodities from many of the regions represented at the workshop. 3Keel’s Agriculture & Landscapes team has hands-on experience working on farms and supply chains, aligning climate strategies with pragmatic approaches and practices like regenerative agriculture.

Looking Ahead

We’re grateful to the Alternative Protein Society of Cambridge University and the IfM for inviting us to take part. It was not only a chance to share what 3Keel and the LENs programme are doing but to listen and learn alongside an inspiring group of peers.

Looking forward, Julia has been invited to join the newly forming EU Sustainable Protein Research Network at IfM—a platform that will foster knowledge-sharing, co-authored publications, and policy influence in the sustainable protein space. We’re excited to contribute.

As the conversation around food systems deepens in the run-up to COP30, one thing is clear: we cannot build resilient and sustainable food systems without farmers.

If you would like to talk to a 3Keel consultant about any of these pressing issues that affect your supply chain, please get in touch on +44 1865 236500