Member Matters

Working through the noise together

28 April 2026

At the AFGC, our focus has been clear: what’s happening in the Middle East and what it means for all of you. There’s no doubt there’s a lot of uncertainty right now, but there’s also a lot of experience, resilience, and problem solving happening across this industry and helping us feed information directly into government. 

One of the most encouraging things we’ve seen over recent weeks is the level of engagement from all of you. Thank you for taking the time to share what you’re seeing on the ground. That real time intelligence is invaluable. It helps us understand how conditions are shifting, where risks are building, and where pressure is being managed well. Please reach out and keep that intel coming. There’s some great insights the team have pulled together in our Middle East Impacts Tracker I’d encourage you and your teams to dive into it.  

I’d also encourage continued, open conversations with retailers. Early, honest discussions help maintain trust and keep supply moving in challenging conditions.  

Why haven’t you seen us in the media? 
To date, we’ve focused on quiet, behind‑the‑scenes engagement with government, backed by member intelligence, to achieve practical outcomes without adding noise. However, as this issue continues to bite, we will keep assessing the situation, and I anticipate that a more public footing may soon be required. 

Andrew Clark
Director, Retail