Editor's letter

Welcome to Just Food’s latest digital magazine, our final issue of 2023.

Inflation, weak consumer confidence and geopolitical upheaval have made 2023 another challenging year, adding to the pressures endured since the onset of Covid-19. 

2024 may not be any easier. “It will be another year of volatility and, probably, a depressed market. Consumers are buying but are buying less. They’re starting to feel the burn and that’s going to reach a tipping point in behaviour,” AlixPartners’ Andy Searle told a Just Food webinar this week. 

In this issue, we set out what could shape shopping behaviour next year and how food manufacturers might try to gain advantage. 

Our cover story is with a business seeking an edge in a nascent market. Josh Tetrick tells us his plans for US cell-based meat firm Good Meat.

But, even before we get to 2024, there’s the small matter of COP28. Our correspondent Nick Ferris, who will be in Dubai, sets out why major progress at the event is possible. Here’s hoping.

Dean Best, managing editor