Iran war’s impact on food supply chains and inflation examined by MPs

Evidence session: Fairness in the food supply chain

Tuesday 19 May, 10.00, committee room 6, Palace of Westminster

Watch on Parliamentlive.tv

The EFRA Committee will examine the impact of the Iran war on the UK’s food supply chains, and what policies could make them more resilient and fairer to producers, manufacturers and consumers.

The current conflict has curtailed fertiliser production, due to shipments of ammonia and urea through the strait of Hormuz being delayed or halted altogether. Oil prices also rose 30% in March this year, causing a knock-on effect to energy costs for many sectors.

Among the witnesses in this session, part of the Committee’s long-term thematic work on ‘food supply chain fairness and resilience’, will be leading food policy expert and advisor, Professor Tim Lang. He will answer questions about the potential implications for food security from the Iran war, and to what extent the UK’s system has structural fragilities that may need to be addressed.

Also on the panel, Karen Betts CEO of the Food and Drink Federation, which focuses on policy and business practice, will set out the perspective of food and drink manufacturers and the wider supply chain. The Federation has revised its food inflation forecast upwards to around 9% by the end of 2026. She will also be asked to discuss pressures on food production, and whether the Government has hit the right balance between environmental regulation and added costs.

A third witness, Hannah Brinsden of the Food Foundation charity, will help the Committee explore the knock-on effects for consumers, particularly the impact on food affordability and availability for low-income households.

The session will also reflect on lessons learnt from previous shocks to food supply chains, including Covid‑19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Witnesses from 10.00:       

• Tim Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy, City University

• Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Food Foundation

• Karen Betts OBE, Chief Executive, Food and Drink Federation