Looking Ahead: Farming for the Long Term in a Changing World

By Adam Buitelaar, CEO, Buitelaar Group

As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about where farming is heading and what it’s going to take to protect its future.

Agriculture has never been easy. Resilience has always been part of the job. But today, it’s not just about getting through the next season, it’s about adapting to a world that’s changing faster than ever. Climate pressure, geopolitical uncertainty, shifting consumer expectations, rising costs - none of us can afford to stand still.

What gives me confidence is the people. The farmers we work with. The teams across our business. The partners who turn up, day in, day out, and get on with the job.

Progress doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people work together.

Partnership Is What Holds It All Together

Buitelaar Group was built on relationships, with family farmers, suppliers, customers, and industry partners who are passionate about doing the right thing. Those relationships matter now more than ever.

Security of supply doesn’t come from spreadsheets or short-term thinking. It comes from trust. From backing farmers through the good years and the tough ones. From building a working web of producers, suppliers, customers and stakeholders who understand that if one part of the system fails, the impact is felt everywhere.

Farming in Europe, has enormous potential, but only if we protect the people at its heart. Supporting family farmers and future generations isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential if we want to keep producing food in this part of the world.

Regeneration Is About More Than the Land

Regenerative agriculture gets talked about a lot, but for us it isn’t a trend or a badge. It’s a way of thinking.

Through our regenerative farming programme, Project Regen, we’ve started embedding regenerative principles across our supply chain. Learning what works, measuring outcomes, and being honest about what still needs to improve. Soil health matters, animal welfare matters, and so does the long-term resilience of farming businesses.

Regeneration is about leaving things in a better place than we found them. That applies just as much to people and supply chains as it does to the land.

A Resilient Food Future Depends on Action

In a changing world, resilience and adaptability are no longer optional. If we want food security tomorrow, we must invest in farming today, in science, in technology, and in practical, nature-aligned solutions that work on real farms.