What’s with all the beef: does the food system really have an appetite for change?

Why is change not happening faster towards a sustainable food system?

The no-bull answer: because the current system is profitable for the people who run it. The bulk of farm subsidies still flow to the highest-emission products, incumbents lobby to keep the rules as they are, and the costs of inaction sit on someone else’s balance sheet. We’ve not arrived here by accident.

At London Climate Action Week 2026, we brought together experts with diverse perspectives to discuss what it will take to fix our broken food system. With Nigel Salter, Co-Founder of SB+CO (part of SLR), as moderator, the panellists included:

• Dr Benjamin Bodirsky, Senior Scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
• Lucie Smith, Lead, One Planet Business for Biodiversity, WBCSD
• Cathrine Varming, Senior Director, Sustainability Innovation & Development, Arla Foods
• Nick Wyver, Consultancy Director, SB+CO (part of SLR).

They shared success stories from different parts of the value chain, showing us what a different approach looks like, from how farmers are paid to what’s on the menu.

The message was clear. The food industry has transformed what the world eats once already, but in the wrong direction. It’s up to us now to turn that round.

Our read and watch list

The No-Bull Papers

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For the complete ‘No-bull’ guide, read our white paper, ‘What’s with all the beef: does the food system really have an appetite for change?’

Click to download

The whitepaper brings together insights from our panellists on the actions that actually create change, and includes our ‘No-bull’ takeaways.

Dr Benjamin Bodirsky tells us about the biggest drivers of change for a more sustainable food system - one which is also better for human health and improves social justice. Watch the video below.