Climate Adaptation Report: executive summary

As part of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA) 2022, the UK Climate Change Committee identified that there were gaps in understanding of the preparedness of the food sector for climate change. Accordingly, Defra invited the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to publish a Climate Adaptation Report in 2024 to help address these gaps and to inform the next UKCCRA.  

The FSA recognises the risks that climate change poses to the long-term sustainability of the food system in the UK and beyond and the role it must play in supporting government to address these risks. The UK food system is however complex and touches on the remit of many different organisations. Given the systemic nature of the problems that climate change presents, the FSA believes a cross-sector approach is required to fully understand the risks to the food system and to agree the most impactful mitigation actions.  

To inform the next UKCCRA and future cross-sector work in this space, this report highlights the FSA’s work in three areas: 

• supporting the food industry, businesses and consumers to adapt to climate change, including collaboration with other government departments and the FSA’s market authorisation process; 
• generating and publishing evidence to help the sector understand the risks and impacts of climate change on the food system; and 
• reducing the environmental impact the FSA has as an organisation, through its Environmental Sustainability Strategy and its response to Greening Government commitments. 

The FSA recognises that more can be done to tackle the challenge of climate change. The FSA’s five-year strategy sets out the FSA’s ambition to play its part in supporting a food system that is more sustainable. The FSA welcomes the opportunity to work with others across government to develop and deliver an ambitious new food strategy, led by Defra. This strategy will include work to build resilience in the face of climate shocks and provide a foundation for tackling these system-wide challenges.  

While the adaptation reporting power applies to England only, because the FSA works across England, Wales and Northern Ireland the report has been written as a reflection of activities carried out across the FSA.