UK Food Industry Faces Talent Crisis, IGD Warns

The UK food sector is facing increasing pressure from labour shortages and a widening gap in skills, forming a severe workforce challenge. IGD's latest foresight states that this problem is set to increase if action isn't taken. 

To address this, IGD is re-launching its industry-wide programme, Mmmake Your Mark, in 2025 to make people more aware of the extensive career opportunities within the food sector and recruit new talent.

As the population of the UK is projected to grow from 69.9 million in 2025 to 73.4 million in 2035, demand for food and drink will rise. While some of this will be met through imports, production in the UK will need to rise to match demand. This puts further pressure on an already stressed workforce. 

Firms need to move quickly to hire and train the individuals they require to future-proof business. A critical part of this is attracting younger recruits at the beginning of their working lives and demonstrating that the industry has flexible and rewarding career paths for those who are struggling to get into work at the moment.

The supply chain for food and beverage supported 4.2 million employees in 2023, equivalent to around 13% of UK employment – more than 1 job in every 8. Mmmake Your Mark campaign utilises that size to improve recruitment by uniting industry players, businesses and government behind the diversity and worth of careers in the food industry.

In 2024, 55 companies took part in the campaign, reaching over 7 million individuals via social media. IGD is now calling for even greater activity for 2025. On Thursday 27 August, IGD is encouraging food companies right along the UK supply chain to post careers in the industry and use hashtag #mmmakeyourmark or tag @mmmakeyourmark to help get the message out.

Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, said:
“The workforce timebomb is something we simply cannot ignore as an industry. If we fail to take collective action, not only will it have a commercial impact for businesses, it also becomes a UK food security issue, affecting accessibility of food and inflation.

We know from our own learning & development programmes that young people are largely unaware of the opportunities available and skills required in the food system, as well as the sense of purpose and impact a career in food and drink can offer. This issue is exacerbated by factors such as the decrease of entry into the industry through routes such as Saturday jobs. Being involved in Mmmake Your Mark on 27th August is a clear step businesses can take to put a food and drink career firmly on people’s radars.”

The campaign is a celebration of the variety of people and occupations in the industry, showcasing it as a place that provides people with purpose, helps them find possibilities and construct meaningful careers. The campaign also aims to increase awareness of how the food industry is working to solve such global challenges as climate change, healthy living, food security and economic growth – all of which matter most to the next generation.

One of the particular focuses of the drive is to close recruitment gaps in technical, engineering and digital roles, which suffer low awareness of STEM career pathways within the sector.

IGD is calling on organisations to unite behind the campaign by embracing the produced materials and resources it has crafted. Organisations can use these resources to market their own careers, individuals and opportunities whilst being part of an industry-wide effort that can bring results.