Agri-Tech, climate resilience and corporate storytelling

Anisha Vikram Shah, Senior Consulting Director, explores why this can be a strong storytelling moment for the UK’s agri-tech and wider food system businesses. The blog below forms part of our Sustainability 3.0 series of insights and perspectives on sustainability and impact comms in a time of upheaval and culture war chaos.

Technology for agriculture has been formally recognised by the UK government as a ‘frontier’ industry in its new 10-year Industrial Strategy, unlocking £200M of innovation funding to boost farm productivity and build climate resilience.

Its intent is to make the UK ‘the best country to invest in anywhere in the world’ and it puts British farmers and growers at the heart of the strategy. But this also sends a strategic signal: climate resilience and innovation in agriculture are now national economic priorities.

This opens up a powerful storytelling moment for British agri-food business leading the way.

Climate adaptation isn’t a niche conversation among sustainability experts anymore. It’s becoming a central narrative for the entire agri-food sector. As weather patterns and crop yields become more unpredictable, resilience is emerging as the real story. Not just farmer or business resilience but also economic resilience. For agri-food businesses, this offers a moment to reshape where they focus and how they talk about the future: not just as a climate mitigation challenge (of reducing emissions and impacts from agricultural practices), but as a climate adaptation imperative that builds resilience into food systems, supply chains and business models, while directly supporting the UK’s competitiveness priorities.

This focus on resilience, to climate change but also through nature, was a recurring theme I heard at London Climate Action Week. Climate and nature action are increasingly seen as connected adaptation strategies. On the ground in agriculture, climate shocks like drought and flooding aren’t just disrupting crop yields, they’re degrading soil, straining ecosystems, and weakening the very natural systems farmers depend on. It’s something I speak about often with my food and drinks clients, that integrating solutions that protect and restore nature into climate and water strategies isn’t just good stewardship, it’s a smart future-facing resilience play. In many cases, the innovation is already there and is ready to be scaled with the right policy and investment backing.

That’s why stories about agri-tech innovation are so vital right now. Beyond making farms more efficient, investing in precision agriculture, soil monitoring technologies, and AI tools is also helping rebuild the natural systems that underpin long term resilience, like soil health, water systems, pollinators and biodiversity. And in doing so, creating a healthier and more stable food system that helps the UK manage food security and stay competitive.

For agri-food companies, this can be a strong storytelling moment. To show how investments in agri-tech – from smarter irrigation to climate-smart crops – are future-proofing our food system and making sure families can continue to access affordable, nutritious food. These aren’t abstract goals; they’re tangible outcomes that matter to households, communities, and policymakers.

It’s a chance to build a stronger, more human narrative around resilience. One that moves beyond talk of net zero targets and carbon metrics and speaks directly to the issues people care about: food on the table, stable prices, jobs in rural areas, and the security of our food supply in an uncertain world. It’s about showing how innovation on the farm connects to everyday life and why that matters.

Resilience isn’t just about weathering disruption, it’s about leading through it. And those businesses investing in agricultural technologies today have a unique opportunity to position themselves not only as sustainable, but as forward-looking and fundamentally connected to the UK’s future.

Here’s what agri-food leaders and communications teams should be thinking about.

1. Support UK farmers and growers on the frontline of change

Find ways to back farmers and growers, especially smaller or independent ones, who face barriers to accessing finance, data or tools for climate adaptation. From co-investing in agri-tech pilots to creating knowledge-sharing platforms, this is not just a supply chain responsibility, but a brand opportunity to show leadership where it’s needed.

2. Build a resilience storyline grounded in real outcomes

Develop a clear internal and external narrative around resilience. Beyond hedging climate risk, show how your business is adapting supply chains, investing in nature, and embracing innovation. Starting small with tailored programmes can build towards a strong position and narrative over time. Use real stories from farmers, partners, and local communities to bring your efforts to life.

3. Align your messaging with national priorities and make it matter to the public

Tap into the momentum of the UK Industrial Strategy. Frame agri-tech investments not just as good business, but as part of a national mission to strengthen the UK’s food system. Link action to outcomes people care about: food security, stable rural economies, job creation, and more affordable, locally grown food.

This lens can help us all communicate more effectively to connect sustainability with business strategy, particularly in a Sustainability 3.0 world in which pragmatism, realism and market alignment is needed.