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Future of Food

The future of food should be sustainable, regenerative and resilient. Achieving this takes leaders across industries to show courage and collaboration. Together with clients and alliances, Deloitte is helping to transform the food ecosystem. Aiming to have a food system that satisfies shifting requirements while respecting planetary boundaries. Together, making an impact that matters.

Future of Food: The case for change

Future-proofing our food system is one of the biggest systemic challenges we face globally. The food industry is responsible for a huge portion of CO2, methane and nitrogen emissions globally and contributes massively to deforestation. These sustainability concerns add to challenges like price volatility, rising costs and changing consumer preferences. 

Yet, the food sector is pivotal in feeding our growing population. Not to mention an essential part of the global economy, providing a livelihood for millions, through agriculture, transport, retail, innovation and more. Therefore, it is imperative to create a reliable food value chain for the long-term. Together. Deloitte collaborates with clients and food players to help transform the industry and prepare for the future.

Deloitte connects for impact on the future of food
 

Deloitte contributes to the transformation of the food system by helping future-proof some of the largest and most innovative organisations across industries. Deloitte support businesses to satisfy shifting nutritional needs within planetary boundaries. In practice, this means helping enable profitable business, while helping ensure that it is driven by purpose and a long-term strategy. It means capturing new and changing consumer segments in order to help future-proof market position and enable continued growth, while navigating the regulatory landscape.

Take a look at some of Deloitte’s projects below

Our thinking

Realising change requires an ecosystem approach in which the whole food value chain is connected with start-ups, regulators and the financial sector.

Randy Jagt, Global Future of Food leader, Deloitte 

"Building a food system that advances our planet, people and economy and enables its players to prosper, is what drives me and our passionate Deloitte food & agriculture teams."


Vanessa Matthijssen, Future of Food leader, Deloitte Asia Pacific

Food frugality index

ConsumerSignals is a longitudinal exploration of consumer spending behaviour and the drivers behind it. Now in its third year, ConsumerSignals provides a view into Consumer’ everyday finances and the spending strategies being used to navigate an unpredictable world. It consists of a collection of proprietary consumer indexes, one of which is the Food frugality index (FFI).

What is the FFI?

Everyone needs to eat, but food is becoming less affordable for some. The FFI is a monthly proprietary measure of behaviours associated with financial stress at the supermarket—and how they may be shaping the way Consumer shop for food. Higher index values indicate Consumer cite being more frugal.

Future of consumer

Through extensive research, Deloitte leaders have identified six key forces that will play a pivotal role in shaping the consumer industry, the business landscape and the world over the next decade:

  • The changing consumer
  • An evolving society and culture
  • Exponential xTech
  • Radical industry upheaval
  • Extreme climate change
  • Shifting economics, power and policy

These forces are affecting the markets, models and mechanics of all industries, including food production and distribution. 

The future will require companies operating in the food ecosystem to understand the implications of their decisions—and create a new approach to markets, models and mechanics—as they chart the future of the food industry.