One in eight of all UK jobs are in the food and drink industry and yet long‑term workforce shortages and skills gaps risk affecting future availability, customer service and wider social outcomes – that’s according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), which is issuing a rallying cry for coordinated industry action to address these challenges.
Its report Food and drink workforce – a quiet crisis building? warns that the long‑term structural workforce shortages across the UK food system pose a growing risk to national food security. Despite years of effort from industry and government, labour and skills gaps show little sign of improvement, with pressures increasingly difficult for businesses to absorb behind the scenes.
IGD’s analysis shows the sector is now facing a labour and skills crunch that will not correct itself, even with economic recovery. At the same time, almost one million young people remain detached from the labour market, leaving a huge pool of untapped potential while businesses struggle to fill essential roles across agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, retail and hospitality.
So far, businesses have shielded consumers from disruption, but the report warns the sector is reaching a tipping point. This “quiet crisis” behind supermarket shelves risks becoming visible through reduced availability, declining service levels, rising costs and increased operational strain throughout the supply chain.
Structural pressures reshaping the labour market
IGD has identified several forces driving long‑term instability:
- An ageing population, with a growing share of workers retiring and fewer people entering the labour market.
- Rising long‑term illness among working‑age adults, shrinking labour supply further.
- Migration policies that limit access to people the industry has historically relied on.
- An education and training system that does not consistently produce work‑ready candidates, leaving employers reporting gaps in both technical and soft skills.
- Changing expectations of work among younger generations.
Signs of strain are already clear: longer vacancy fill times, rising burnout, worsening skills gaps and succession challenges in critical roles such as HGV drivers, engineers and frontline operations.
With 4.1 million people employed across the food system, almost twice the size of the NHS, the stakes are high. Workforce instability threatens product availability, cost pressures, progress on net zero and, ultimately, the UK’s ability to feed itself in an increasingly volatile global environment.
IGD’s response: A coordinated, cross industry initiative
In response, IGD is expanding and relaunching Feeding Britain’s Future, its longstanding industry programme, first introduced in 2012. A launch will follow later this year, but now is the crucial time for industry to start having conversations and engaging with IGD about the programme and how to get involved. The renewed approach will focus on six interventions designed to strengthen the industry’s talent pipeline and support employers to attract, retain and develop essential skills.
The interventions will:
- Provide free, cross industry early-career learning to build confidence and highlight long-term careers in food and drink.
- Deliver a national schools programme to build skills, confidence and awareness of sector opportunities.
- Increase visibility of food sector careers across widely used platforms and digital channels.
- Establish strategic university partnerships to raise the profile of food and drink careers.
- Deliver scalable work experience opportunities to build confidence and practical skills for young people.
- Bring the industry together to amplify a collective voice and champion food and drink careers including its youth focused Mmmakeyourmark campaign.
IGD is also calling for a strengthened government partnership, including a national workforce strategy for food and drink, reform of the Growth and Skills Levy, greater certainty on seasonal and skills-based immigration routes and improved alignment between Jobcentre support, local skills planning and the needs of a strategically critical sector.
To engage with IGD about getting involved with Feeding Britain’s Future, please contact Harshal Gore, Director of Economic & Workforce Programmes: Harshal.gore@igd.com.
