Accelar at the Launch of the Great South West Agrifood Industries Growth Plan

Last week our Managing Director, Chris Fry, attended a significant event in Westminster: the launch of the Great South West Agrifood Industries Growth Plan.

Held in the Churchill Room at the House of Commons, the event brought together ministers, MPs, Peers, industry leaders, academics, and organisations including Accelar, committed to strengthening the UK’s food security, climate resilience and sustainable economic growth.

The Great South West region already contributes significantly to the food supply chain and plays a defining role in national food security. The new Growth Plan sets out how the region can go further - leveraging natural assets, technological strengths and deep agrifood expertise to support a more resilient UK food system.

Insight, Collaboration and Ambition

The launch followed a full day of engagement between agrifood businesses and senior policymakers at Portcullis House, culminating in a high profile reception in Parliament. With contributions from influential voices such as Minette Batters DL, Baroness Hayman, and leaders across farming, food manufacturing, research and innovation, the discussions consistently highlighted the urgent need for better data, stronger supply chain transparency, and more resilient, nature positive models of growth.

For Accelar, this emphasis aligned directly with our core mission. It was particularly encouraging to see widespread recognition of how natural capital and communities will contribute to transforming the UK’s food system, as well as the pivotal role that good business and sustainability data will play. This is exactly where our Sustainability Business Tracker provides powerful value, helping business clusters to move beyond basic carbon reporting to get insights from benchmarking their green growth opportunities such as new products and services. The tracker supports the type of resilient and transparent agrifood system the event called for, one that can underpin long term climate aligned economic growth.

Key Themes From the Growth Plan

The Agrifood Industries Growth Plan outlines how the region can deliver at least £3.8bn in real‑terms economic growth by 2043, underpinned by a triple‑helix model of industry, research and government working together.

1. Productivity & Investment

The report stresses the importance of technological adoption, from precision farming to automation, to strengthen value‑added processing and unlock new market opportunities across dairy, seafood, horticulture and more.

2. Market & Climate Risk Management

Resilience was a central theme throughout the launch. Strengthening supply chain partnerships, improving risk management, and equipping the region to cope with floods, droughts and other climate shocks are essential to long‑term food system stability.

3. Environment & Sustainability

The Growth Plan emphasises nature‑positive farming, ecosystem restoration, and embedding sustainability into supply chain decision‑making. Examples in the plan highlight how natural capital can generate new revenue streams while improving environmental outcomes.

Notably, Chris contributed input to the drafting of the plan regarding the impact and revenue opportunities associated with nature markets/natural capital alongside food production. Including identifying the Reviving Exmoor’s Heartlands Landscape Recovery project that we have the privilege to be working on as one of many scalable initiatives in the region that demonstrate what is possible.

4. Food Security as National Infrastructure

A notable view emerging from the event was the recognition that the food system should be treated as long‑term critical infrastructure.

Regional business sector leaders including Karl Tucker of Yeo Valley, Richard Clothier of Wyke Farms, Rebecca Tonks of St Ewe Eggs and Chris Ranford of the Cornish Fish Producer’s organisation highlighted that the Great South West has the opportunity to become a leader in low carbon, high value food with the region already:

• Producing over 11% of England’s agricultural output

• Hosting over one‑third of England’s dairy farms

• Being the nation’s leading fishing region.

These strengths position it as a cornerstone of national food resilience.

Accelar’s Perspective

We are committed to enabling nature‑positive growth and striving for a green transition helping regions, businesses and supply chains quantify sustainability, unlock investment in natural capital and scale climate‑resilient solutions.

The Great South West Agrifood Industries Growth Plan is a powerful example of:

• Evidence‑based regional strategy

• Genuine cross‑sector collaboration

• Clear acknowledgement that economic growth and environmental recovery must go hand‑in‑hand

We look forward to continuing our work with partners across the region to help deliver this vision, supporting the transition to a resilient, low‑carbon and high‑value agrifood system.