One in four people globally are overweight, one in ten are undernourished, and more than a third cannot afford a healthy diet—while the food sector pumps out roughly 30% of the world’s greenhouse gases. This matters because the current food system fails on every front: economic, social, and environmental. Heatwaves, floods, droughts, and conflict disrupt supplies; the COVID-19 pandemic alone pushed hunger up by 15%. Poor farming degrades soil, drains water, and slashes biodiversity. The UK and Ireland, as major global food producers, face these pressures acutely, and the post-Brexit geopolitical landscape adds further volatility. SUREFOOD-I takes a complete “soil to society” approach, linking food production with public health to develop practical solutions. If it succeeds, it could reshape how food is grown, processed, and consumed across Britain, Northern Ireland, and Ireland—cutting emissions, making healthy diets affordable, and building resilience against climate shocks. The explicit goal is to help the food system reach climate neutrality by 2050. This is translational research aimed at real-world change, not fundamental science; its impact would be felt in supply chains, farming practices, and on dinner plates.
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Our current food system does not meet the economic, social and environmental requirements needed to generate food security and nutrition for all. The food system faces urgent and complex challenges. This affects us locally in GB, NI and Ireland and it is also affected by global events. One in ten people are undernourished, one in four are overweight and more than one third of the world's population cannot afford a healthy diet. Food supplies are disrupted by heatwaves, floods, droughts and conflict. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 15% increase in the number of people going hungry. The global food sector emits about 30% of the world's greenhouse gases (GHG), significantly impacting planetary health. Poor farming practices degrade soils, pollute and deplete water supplies and lower biodiversity locally and globally. In order to feed the world without continuing to damage the environment, the way we produce and consume food must radically change. To ensure everyone in GB, NI and Ireland has access to sustainable, fair and healthy foods we require innovative and joined up approaches across disciplines and across jurisdictions. Ireland and the UK are in a unique position being leading global providers of food and ingredients and we face evolving geopolitical challenges and relationships. These challenges heighten the importance of focusing attention on food security in this volatile world. This uncertainty and volatility requires a cohesive strategy to drive food system transformation in GB, NI and Ireland. Using a complete food systems approach, from soil to society, SUREFOOD-I will conduct translational research spanning food production to public health. SUREFOOD-I will develop innovative and transformative solutions to transition our food system to ensure safe nutritious food for all. In doing so, SUREFOOD-I will deliver solutions to support our food system to transition to climate-neutrality by 2050.
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