The grand challenges facing our Food and Drink system are huge and varied. In addition to this the interdependencies are complex and evolving. The very nature of these challenges means that they require collective action including standards, interventions and reporting at both a global and local level. This presentation explores some of the more interesting case studies in this area.

Speaker biography:
Judith Batchelar is a member of the government’s Food and Drink Sector Council, and Director of Sainsbury’s Brand, where she is responsible for all aspects of Sainsbury’s product offer, from Policy formation on aspects such as Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing, through to Product Technology, Development, Safety, and Packaging along with Corporate Responsibility, sustainability and Public Affairs. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to Farming and the Food Industry. Judith has worked in the food and drink industry for over 35 years and is a biochemist and registered nutritionist. Prior to Sainsbury’s, she held prominent roles in food manufacturing and retail, with Safeway, Marks & Spencer and Mars. Batchelar has a particular interest and expertise in building resilient and sustainable farming and food systems. In addition to her industry roles, she sits on the executive board of the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project, the Board of Trustees for Farm Africa and The Matt Hampson Foundation, is a Fellow of both the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), and the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturers (RSA). For the last 5 years she has Co-Chaired the Government’s AgriFoodTech Council.

Discussant:
We are delighted to have Dr Brian Cook from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences with us to reflect on Judith’s talk.

Brian obtained his PhD (1998) in Linguistics from the University of Toronto. Before joining the University of Oxford he was a Senior Health Research Specialist for the Toronto Public Health department where he helped establish the Toronto Food Strategy. His career has focused on urban food system research in a public health context, leading multi-disciplinary projects to improve access to healthy and affordable food.