In this issue

Welcome to the new edition of just-food. 

Keen-eyed readers will have already noticed that the format of this edition is a little different. We've given the magazine a bit of a refresh with a new structure and design that will hopefully make it easier to read and navigate. As always, we are working hard to bring you high-quality coverage of the industry, now including even more analysis from our experts at GlobalData.

In this issue, we look ahead to the next year – or years – and ponder what the short, medium, and perhaps more importantly, long-term impact of the coronavirus will be on the food industry. There has been an increased focus on health and wellness in food over the last few years, which has, understandably, been magnified by the pandemic. We investigate if this can continue in years to come or if consumers will slip back to pre-pandemic habits.

One trend that looks likely to continue is the growing willingness to adopt e-commerce as a norm. We look at the ways companies have accelerated their move to the online world, as well as pinpointing what hasn't quite worked out as planned. We also consider how the pandemic-induced disruption could be the catalyst for the industry to ramp up efforts to improve on sustainability efforts, and how food firms can play a key role in a re-energised climate agenda. 

As well as this, we also highlight how the pandemic has changed the operations of food manufacturers, both in production facilities and at a white-collar level. Will we see more manufacturing processes turn towards automation? And what impact does working from home have on the research and development of new products?

For this, and more, read on.

Peter Nilson, editor