Notes
Temps de lecture : 7 min
26/02/2026
Food Sovereignty in France & the UK: Smoothing Cross-Channel Trade and Leveraging AgriTech
Food sovereignty has become a priority issue for all stakeholders in the agricultural and food sectors in order to respond to the increasingly pressing geopolitical, climatic, economic, and health risks. Agridées has been working on this issue for several years. This issue is shared by other European countries, as the pandemic, followed by Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, has made us aware of our dependencies and vulnerabilities. The United Kingdom is particularly dependent on imports to meet the food demands of its citizens, and France’s trade balance is deteriorating dangerously.
That is why Agridées has worked with another independent think tank, the Cross Channel Institute*, on two drivers for improving the food sovereignty of our two countries: trade and technology. The document we are publishing together, “Food sovereignty: smoothing cross-Channel trade and leveraging AgriTech” brings together various analyses and testimonials from stakeholders (companies, professional organizations) calling for the revitalization of innovation, production, and trade in agricultural and food products for mutual benefit.
Résumé
This sectoral analysis entitled “Food Sovereignty in France & the UK: Smoothing Cross-Channel Trade and Leveraging AgriTech,” pursues a dual objective. First, it provides a precise overview of agricultural and agrifood trade between our two countries, in order to better understand existing interdependencies and structural vulnerabilities. It then highlights the decisive role those new technologies – through AgriTech – can play in strengthening the resilience of farmers and supply chains, securing supply systems, and supporting the transition toward more robust and sustainable models.
Our work clearly shows that innovation is no longer a marginal concern; it has become central. Digitalisation, automation, optimisation of water use, loss reduction, new renewable energy sources – the solutions being deployed in agriculture within the bioeconomy are already providing concrete responses to highly operational challenges. France and the United Kingdom benefit from a remarkable network of technological innovation and a dynamic investment ecosystem. The combination of these strengths constitutes a powerful lever for strengthening our shared food
*The Cross Channel Institute is the think tank of the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
