Over the past week, food security has moved sharply up the national agenda. Writing in The Guardian, Tim Lang warned that the UK’s food system is dangerously exposed. He contends that it’s overly reliant on imports, stretched by global instability, and lacking the resilience it once had. Meanwhile, reporting in The Times has underscored how easily that system could be disrupted, whether by cyberattack, conflict, or even targeted sabotage of key infrastructure.

For those of us in the UK meat and livestock sector, none of this comes as a surprise.

These are risks we have been highlighting for years. Meat processors operate at the heart of the food system, connecting farms to retailers, managing logistics, maintaining standards, and ensuring continuity of supply. From that vantage point, we see not only the efficiency of the system, but also its vulnerabilities. The just-in-time model that keeps shelves stocked is also the one that leaves little room for error.

What’s changing now is the level of attention that food security is garnering. It is becoming understood as a matter of national resilience and the Government has demonstrated, even in the last few days on the Co2 issue, that they’re taking it seriously through robust contingency planning and action to support critical supplies when needed. This shift creates both an opportunity and a responsibility.

There’s a growing recognition, reflected in Lang’s analysis, that the UK must rebuild domestic capacity, shorten supply chains and support primary production, particularly in the face of falling livestock numbers. These priorities align closely with the concerns of the meat and livestock sector. A resilient food system cannot exist without a strong domestic production base, nor without the processing infrastructure that turns livestock into food on people’s tables.

But resilience is not just about producing more. It is about understanding how every part of the chain interacts. A disruption at a port, a cyberattack on a distribution centre, a Co2 supply shock, or a disease outbreak in livestock does not remain isolated. The system is interconnected, and so are its vulnerabilities.

This is where our sector has a critical role to play.

As processors, we hold a unique, 360-degree view of the supply chain. We work directly with farmers, retailers, logistics providers and regulators. We see where pressures are building, where capacity is constrained, and where there are opportunities to strengthen resilience. That on-the-ground intelligence is essential if government is to develop policies that are practical, proportionate and effective.

The British Meat Processors Association is therefore committed to bringing together the voices of the meat and livestock sector to provide a clearer, unified picture to policymakers. Not simply to highlight risks, but to help shape solutions.

Because the question is no longer whether the system is vulnerable. It is how we act together to make it stronger.