Organisers of the City Food & Drink Lecture have unveiled speakers at the Q&A session following a keynote lecture from Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s.
Simon Roberts, CEO of UK retailer Sainsbury’s, will present his thoughts on why good food is the result of a great food system, and how the industry can work to “overcome risks and challenges” in this area. The City Food & Drink Lecture will be held on Monday 11th March 2024 at London’s Guildhall.
Key topics set to be covered by Simon in his lecture include:
- Global and local perspectives on the key environmental, social and technological challenges the UK food system is currently facing, offering potential solutions
- The need to build resilience of the UK’s food system while managing the diverse and increasing risks
- The importance of collaboration as a key factor in addressing the challenges
- How technology and upskilling can be utilised to build a better food system.
Following his lecture, Roberts will join a panel for an interactive Q&A session. The panel will consist of Tom Bradshaw, NFU president; Anna Taylor OBE, executive director at The Food Foundation; Dan Aherne, group CEO at New England Seafood International; and Charlotte Smith, panel chair and presenter of BBC1’s Countryfile and Radio 4’s Farming Today.
Allan Wilkinson, chair of the City Food & Drink Lecture, said: “This year’s lecture is set to be a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing the UK food system.
“Simon Roberts is in a great position as the leader of one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK to comment on ways the industry can collaboratively address challenges of the UK’s food system and drive positive change.”
