I remember vividly the many discussions I had with stakeholders when developing a long-term Food & Agri vision in my former role. But one that sticks out was that some business leaders effectively said that their sector is the way it is, and that it had always evolved in a calm manner.
Change, by its very nature, feels disruptive. Especially if the idea of change bumps up against long histories or complex realities that aren’t always easy to appreciate.
Embracing innovation and opportunity brings new energy and possibilities. However, change is mostly realised in an evolutionary path. So how can we navigate change in today’s feed sector? I think the place to start is with a vision.
The need for change is persistent
I speak with feed industry leaders who feel they are constantly firefighting. They face real and immediate challenges; low margins, market pressures, geopolitical volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and ever-shifting customer expectations for their feed to be safe, nutritious, sustainable – and, of course, still cheap.
It’s only natural then, under pressure like this, that our first impulse is not to innovate but to stick with what we know. But focus on that too much, and we risk missing meaningful opportunities.
This is especially relevant for the feed sector right now. We are in a time of significant, even chaotic, change – not calm evolution. Many long-standing ways of working are struggling to keep up with new developments (from both inside and outside of the industry), and new solutions are emerging that are imperfect and untested. And all this in a volatile and competitive market context. The most tempting thing to do would be to wait and see.
Seizing opportunities
And yet, I believe in change, as it opens doors to new chances.
I once led a busy team who were at most thinking one year ahead. We played a key role in supporting the agriculture sector, but we were focusing mostly on compliance with existing or upcoming regulations and rules. We began to see though that societal pressures were affecting our customers more, and only waiting for legislation to catch up would not help them. The reputation and success of the organisation relied on us being forward thinking, because if we didn’t then our business customers would not be future-proof anymore.
The first and most important step was to think ahead. We worked to unite behind a vision of what the sector might look like in fifteen to twenty years. When we shared our ideas with the market, I was amazed by the dialogues it created. We of course met with resistance, it’s a natural part of the process, but it also opened people’s eyes to further thinking. It led to discussions about what was possible, instead of only what was not. Creating a vision, a clear picture, was the first step that helped our team and our stakeholders to overcome the blocks in our heads and think about what could be possible. By shifting from ‘what is’ to ‘what might be’, we found ourselves and our stakeholders starting to move again. It helped us get unstuck.
This is the positive side of proactive change. By opening up you find more opportunities than threats, more chances than pitfalls. And in a competitive industry like ours that means you can seize the opportunity for differentiation; especially in innovation, safety, and sustainability.
Differentiate your company
For example, there are many opportunities to embrace innovation in AI and data analysis to provide added value to the feed chain. Feed safety itself is still maturing in some markets, and being known as a safe and reliable operator is a significant advantage.
And sustainability remains a largely unclaimed space in most markets, offering many chances to be the market leader. Making change and innovation part of your day-to-day business means each of these paths offers ways to be resilient, aligned with future demand, and differentiated from the rest.
Leadership and change are applicable no matter how big or small your company is. Smaller companies will get to focus on their niche or specialism, but it’s important to remember that competitive markets are not static. The opportunities for growth are constant, so even small companies can claim market leadership through embracing change, differentiation, and innovation.
GMP+ International is walking this path too and working to keep ahead of the trends. How the future of certification, auditing, safety, and sustainability looks will be an important basis for our strategic plan which will be launched in early 2026. And in the meantime, we continue to support the industry as we work towards our vision of feed being safe and sustainable everywhere in the world.
I believe being open to change makes you stronger, gives you the chance to get unstuck, and ultimately to seize opportunities you won’t seize by waiting. There are always arguments for why something will not, or should not, work. But if people understand the change that’s needed from them, have the confidence that they can do it, and know they’re not alone… then they are more likely to believe in the change themselves.
Looking back, many of the things we now take for granted once felt impossible. But progress and change often feel undoable – until they’re done.