Brexit led to 'many short-term challenges' for UK food sector - industry leader
Sofina Foods’ chief executive, Ash Amirahmadi, has indicated that Brexit has created many short-term challenges for the UK food sector.
However, the jury remains out regarding the long-term consequences of the UK’s exit from the EU.
Amirahmadi made these assertions while giving the 2026 Scott Robertson Memorial Lecture. The event was held recently at Queen’s University Belfast.
The main theme addressed by the Sofina Foods representative reflected his conviction of the need for national food security to become an imperative political priority in the UK.
He also wants to see the footprint of the food industry expanded to include more women, more people with neurodivergent backgrounds, and a greater participation of people from urban areas.
Significantly, Amirahmadi recognises Northern Ireland as a powerhouse of farming and food production.
Future trends
Looking to the future, he believes that international consumer demand for nutrient dense foods, including all forms of animal protein will increase significantly.
In part, this trend will be driven by the increasing use of new obesity treatments, the use of which will require complimentary nutritional programmes, specifically designed to manage muscle mass.
Amirahmadi said: “In the modern food and farming industry, constant innovation will be required."
According to the Sofina Foods CEO: "It's hard not to conclude that climate change is now a reality.
"The hottest day in Northern Ireland was recorded within the last five years. And 2025 marked the hottest summer ever recorded across the UK as a whole.
“Meanwhile, recent weeks have seen record levels of rainfall that has created flooding and other challenges in so many areas.
“Looking ahead, there is every prospect of these extreme weather events becoming more common, affecting how and when we can produce food.”
Amirahmadi added that geopolitical events "will also have a major impact on our farming and food sectors".
"For example, Russia’s 2022 invasion of the Ukraine created a major spike in food prices and the costs associated with the production of food," he said.
“In tandem with this, the rise in protectionism, where international trade patterns are concerned, puts a greater emphasis on the issue of national food security.
“And above all, politics has become more polarised. The breakdown in the consensus previously arrived at on the issue of securing a net zero position for the UK is a case in point.
“Some of this was predictable. However, a lot if it wasn’t.”
