Global Food Industry Leaders Launch Food Business Charter to Achieve 40% Female Representation by 2035

Food industry leaders gathered at the UK House of Lords to launch the Food Business Charter, with the ambitious goal of reaching 40% female representation across the global food value chain by 2035, marking a pivotal step toward gender balance in the sector, according to European Supermarket Magazine.

The Food Business Charter, developed by Meat Business Women in collaboration with founding signatories from 20 leading companies in food production, retail, and foodservice supply chains, was unveiled at an exclusive event hosted by Baroness Minette Batters DL.

This landmark initiative represents a strategic commitment by senior industry leaders to address gender imbalance and enhance talent attraction and retention across the global food industry. The charter follows a Meat Business Women industry roundtable last year, which highlighted the urgent need for action—women currently make up just 33.5% of the meat industry workforce, down from 36% in 2020.

Laura Ryan, Global Chair and Founder of Meat Business Women, stated:

"The Food Business Charter marks a defining moment in our industry's journey toward gender equality and a major milestone in Meat Business Women’s 10th year. By working with senior leaders who understand the benefits of a gender-balanced workforce, we have not only created a vision, but also a practical roadmap for change. This charter, backed by major global and European food producers, retailers, and foodservice businesses, demonstrates our collective determination to remove barriers and create meaningful opportunities for women at all levels."

The charter is supported by an Action Planning Toolkit, developed in collaboration with diversity and inclusion experts, offering organizations practical strategies for achieving the charter’s ambitions.

"This is not about setting targets; it’s about transforming the future of our industry to ensure it remains profitable and sustainable," Laura added. "The Charter provides organizations with a framework to implement practical strategies for talent attraction and retention, share best practices, and create lasting change. With the support of our industry partners, we are confident that lasting transformation is possible."

Jamila Gordon, CEO and Founder of Lumachain, the event sponsor, remarked:

"The meat and food industry, like the supporting tech sector, is experiencing a chronic labor shortage. Ensuring women are fully represented and can thrive at all levels is vital to the future of these industries and to ensuring we can continue to put food on tables. The Food Business Charter is an important step in supporting this process, and Lumachain is proud to be committed to it."

The launch event took place during a key week leading up to International Women’s Day, with industry leaders officially signing the Charter and committing to advancing gender balance.

Baroness Batters, who sponsored the launch event, shared her support:

"As a beef farmer and the first woman to lead the NFU in its 113-year history, I’m delighted to sponsor the Charter’s launch. I believe it marks a vital milestone in providing a much-needed framework to enable and empower women to progress their careers in the meat industry."

The Food Business Charter has also received a letter of support from HRH The Princess Royal, a long-time advocate of Meat Business Women and former speaker at their conference.

Founding signatories of the Charter include: ABP Food Group, Australian Meat Processor Corporation, Australian Meat Group, Avara Foods, Cargill Protein, Cranswick Plc, Dunbia & Dawn Meats, Finnebrogue, Greencore, Hilton Foods Plc, International Procurement and Logistics (IPL), Kepak, Lumachain Foods Australia, Minerton & Livestock Foods Australia, Myerton & Morris OSI Foods Australia, Europa, Sofina Foods, Tesco, and Thomas Foods.