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Food and agriculture firms’ risk control confidence falls to 62%

WTW says health litigation, supply chain vulnerabilities and cyber threats are key drivers, with internal tools, budget, and board support also cited as growing obstacles.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Industry & Deals

Confidence in risk management among food, beverage and agriculture companies has weakened, with only 62% of firms saying they feel somewhat or completely in control of the root causes of their risks, according to WTW’s Global Food, Beverage & Agriculture Risk Report 2026.

WTW, which surveyed 450 senior decision makers worldwide at companies averaging $4 billion in annual revenue, found that health-related litigation, supply chain vulnerabilities and cyber threats intensified over the past two years. Internally, food safety and health was the top risk factor at 45% of respondents, up from 29% in 2024, a shift WTW attributed to a rise in class actions tied to harms of ultra-processed foods. Cyber risk also increased to 40% from 32%, and product contamination concerns rose to 38% from 31%, tied to factors including employee turnover, malicious contamination, labeling errors and cost pressures.

Externally, WTW reported that costs and availability of inputs such as energy and fertilizer were cited by 36%, up from 26%, while 44% flagged supply chain vulnerabilities and 40% pointed to labor shortages, up from 30% two years earlier. WTW linked these pressures to conflicts, tariff tensions and immigration restrictions that have disrupted shipping, energy and raw material availability.

Even as risks have expanded, 53% of respondents said they expect to be more profitable in two years. At the same time, WTW found growing internal hurdles to managing risk, including 56% saying they lack the internal tools and insight needed, 51% citing insufficient budget, and 45% pointing to a lack of buy-in at board level.

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