Food and agribusinesses are operating in an environment where uncertainty is no longer exceptional.
Our latest research suggests this is leading to a more commercially disciplined approach to change, with investment increasingly judged by whether it can address several pressures at once: reducing costs, improving productivity, strengthening resilience and creating greater flexibility for the future.
Introduction
The food and agribusiness sector has always been accustomed to change. Today economic pressure, geopolitical disruption, labour challenges, technological advances, regulatory reform and changing consumer expectations are creating an increasingly complex operating environment.
Our 2026 food and agribusiness outlook research offers a snapshot of how businesses are responding. To shape this report, we gathered views from across the sector to understand the opportunities, challenges and priorities facing businesses today.
Rather than pointing to a sector waiting for more favourable conditions, the findings suggest businesses are continuing to make decisions but applying a sharper commercial test to them. The questions being asked are increasingly practical: where will investment make the greatest difference? Can technology improve productivity or help address workforce constraints? How can businesses reduce their exposure to increasingly interconnected supply chain risks? And how much flexibility are they building into plans for future ownership and leadership?
"What comes through strongly from the findings is a sector that continues to adapt. Businesses are dealing with significant pressures, but they are also looking carefully at where to invest, how technology can improve productivity and how to build greater resilience for the future."
Michael Aubrey Agriculture Partner and Joint Head of Food and Agribusiness Sector, Mills & Reeve
Six key findings
Tax and compliance costs are reshaping investment.
AI and agritech are being driven by the search for efficiency.
Food security extends far beyond the farm gate.
Regulatory change will create different winners and losers.
Succession planning is about preserving choice, not just tax.
The future consumer may be changing faster than businesses realise.
None of these findings operate in isolation.
Together, they demonstrate just how closely decisions around investment, technology, people, regulation and long-term strategy are becoming connected.
"Success will increasingly depend on making deliberate choices about where investment and management attention can have the greatest impact, while retaining the flexibility to respond as conditions change."
Craig Hodgson Corporate Partner and Joint Head of Food and Agribusiness Sector, Mills & Reeve
