The UK’s food system is under growing pressure. One of the biggest challenges facing farmers today is finding enough people with the right skills to work in the industry.
This has been an ongoing issue reported by farmers for several years. A new report released by Arla Foods and Harper Adams University, calls for urgent, collaborative action across industry, government, and education to tackle critical workforce shortages in agriculture-shortages that now pose one of the biggest threats to the nation’s food security.
The research highlights a clear and pressing challenge: without a skilled, motivated workforce, the UK’s ability to produce affordable, sustainable food is at risk.
Three Clear Actions for Change
To secure the future of UK food production, the report calls for a unified effort built around three priorities:
1. Showcase Careers in Agriculture
Launch a national campaign to highlight the diversity, innovation, and rewards of careers across food and farming.
2. Strengthen Education and Early Exposure
Embed food and farming into the curriculum and provide young people with earlier, more meaningful exposure through schools, colleges, and universities.
3. Create Clear Routes Into the Sector
Support employers to recruit, train, and develop the workforce of the future through accessible, well-signposted entry pathways.
By acting together, the sector can build a workforce equipped to deliver the UK’s ambitions for food security, climate recovery and a thriving rural economy. The insights from young people offer both a warning and an opportunity: with the right support, agriculture can become a dynamic, inclusive and future-ready career destination.
Read more here: Securing the Future of Food
