Food security is emerging as a growing concern. Extreme weather and geopolitical disruption are putting pressure on global food supplies, household budgets and the wider economy.

In this episode of the Barclays Brief, host Patrick Coffey speaks with Maggie O’Neal, Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Thematic and Public Policy Research, about rising food security risks and the impact of food inflation. Together they examine why higher food prices can hit emerging markets harder, where food accounts for a larger share of household budgets.

The discussion also explores how policy and technologies, from precision irrigation to new crop varieties, could strengthen food supplies. For consumers, policymakers and investors, the challenge is not just managing disruption but preparing for it.

This episode was recorded in London at 10:30am GMT on Monday 9 November.

Listeners can hear more related to this topic:​

• The US consumer won't quit​

• UK Budget: What markets may be missing

• Has the protein boom peaked?

Clients can read more on Barclays Live:​

• Food security: what to watch through year-end

• Investing in resilient food systems: food security solutions

• The fertiliser and weather risk nexus

• Adaptation in Action: A Global Universe of Solution Providers

• Strategic autonomy: food security in focus

• This El Niño looks set to break records, but at what cost?

Important Content Disclosures

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. Views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect those of the firm. Any forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties.

Semiconductors sit at the heart of the AI revolution, but the global supply chains behind them are under growing pressure. As investment in AI accelerates, highly concentrated capabilities across advanced manufacturing and critical materials are creating strategic chokepoints, while geopolitical pressures are reshaping how these global supply chains must operate.

Recorded at the Barclays Asia Forum, host Patrick Coffey is joined by Chris Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, to explore the vulnerabilities within the semiconductor ecosystem, the challenge of national semiconductor self-sufficiency and why the politicisation of AI may just be getting started.

Looking ahead, they consider the next wave of AI adoption, from accelerating research and development in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to the rise of physical AI. They also examine what this changing landscape means for business leaders, including how boards shouldn’t underestimate geopolitical shifts.

Read more on the topic:

• 10 things you need to know about humanoid robots
• Robots roll out, economies rewire
• AI gets physical: Innovation meets opportunity
• Talent and trade: The new battlegrounds in AI

Listeners can also explore the topic further in previous Barclays Brief episodes:

• Pacing the Frontier: What’s next for AI?
• AI goes economy-wide
• Rise of the humanoid robots

Important Content Disclosures

Important non-Research content disclosures

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. Views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect those of the firm. Any forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties.​

As investors reassess the AI trade, attention is shifting towards how the next phase of the cycle could play out across Asia. The region remains central to global AI investment, but changing sentiment is creating a more complex mix of opportunities and risks.

Recorded at the Barclays Asia Forum in Singapore, host Patrick Coffey was joined by JF Mastrangelo, Head of Markets, APAC, to discuss distinct investment cases across the region. They explore how Korea and Taiwan offer different forms of exposure to the AI investment cycle, and how the scale of the semiconductor sector can extend its effects into their wider economies. They also highlight how India’s domestic growth and banking sector could provide diversification beyond the AI infrastructure trade.

The conversation also covers China’s strength in exports, including green technology and AI-related products, and Japan’s combination of domestic growth and exposure to AI manufacturing.

For investors, the discussion highlights the importance of assessing Asia market by market, while remaining mindful of differences in valuation, volatility and sensitivity to the AI cycle.

Clients can read more on Barclays Live:

Thinking Macro: SVB Redux?

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: Confidence growing

Positioning for AI Disruption: The Next Phase of Enterprise Adoption

AI in China: From AI investment to adoption

Listeners can also explore the topic further:

Trump-Xi: Stability without resolution

Pacing the Frontier: What’s next for AI?

Opportunities in Asian Equities

Japan: Why the world is watching

Important Content Disclosures

Important non-Research Content Disclosures