A new collection of essays bringing together diverse voices from across food, farming and wider society has been launched during British Food Fortnight to provoke fresh thinking about the role food plays in Britain today.

Commissioned by Love British Food and Future Countryside to mark Love British Food’s 25th anniversary, the collection looks beyond what is on our plates to explore how food connects with some of the biggest questions facing society.

Contributors examine subjects spanning food security, farming and nature, nutrition and public health, food poverty and waste, public procurement, fishing and coastal communities, faith, culture and our relationship with the land.

Rather than seeking a single answer, the collection deliberately brings together contrasting experiences and perspectives, asking what the choices Britain makes about producing, sourcing, sharing and valuing food say about the society it wants to become.

Contributors include biologist and author Dr Rupert Sheldrake; Jake Fiennes; the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester; Emma Revie of Trussell; Sabine Goodwin, director of the Independent Food Aid Network; seafood specialist Mike Warner; and voices reflecting personal experiences of accessing and choosing food.

The collection launches during the 25th anniversary of British Food Fortnight, which runs from 26 September to 11 October and is the annual national celebration led by Love British Food.

Love British Food founder and chief executive Alexia Robinson says the anniversary offered an opportunity not only to celebrate British food, but to consider its place in society today.

“Food is never just food,” says Alexia. “It connects us to the land and sea, to our health, communities and culture, and to the people whose work puts food on our tables.

“After 25 years of championing British food, we wanted to use this milestone to look forwards as well as celebrate how far we have come. We invited people with very different experiences and perspectives to contribute because these are conversations that should not happen in isolation.

“What emerges is not one prescribed view of the future, but a fascinating snapshot of British food and society in 2026. Some of the essays challenge us, some celebrate what we have and others pose difficult questions. Collectively, I hope they encourage worthwhile debate about what we value and what we want our food system to deliver in the next 25 years.”

Across the collection, recurring themes include the relationship between food production and the natural environment; the role of farmers and fishermen as food producers and custodians of land and sea; the connection between farming and human health; and the wider social value of food.

Future Countryside has partnered with Love British Food on the project to bring wider rural, environmental and societal perspectives into the conversation.

Sarah Lee, director of Future Countryside says: “One of the most striking things about this collection is the breadth of territory food touches. Conversations about farming, nature, health, poverty, community and culture can too easily take place separately, yet food connects them all.

“We deliberately wanted contributors to approach the subject from different starting points and we have not sought to make those views conform. The value lies in putting those perspectives alongside one another and creating space for discussion.

“At a time when questions about food security, land use, health and resilient communities are increasingly important, we hope the collection encourages people to think differently about the role food plays in the future of our countryside and our society.”

The essays are available here www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/essay-collection with audio versions also being released via the Love British Food Podcast at love-british-food.captivate.fm, and on Spotify and i-podcast, to make the collection accessible in different formats.