Resilience achieved via multiple compensating subsystems: The immediate impacts of COVID-19 control measures on the agri-food systems of Australia and New Zealand

A mixed-methods study to determine the impact of COVID-19 on food security, food access and supply in regional Australia for consumers and food supply stakeholders.

“…To the authors knowledge, it is the rst study to combine consumer and food supply stakeholder perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected food supply and food security. This compliments recent Australian research which examined food chain resilience during the pandemic from an industry perspective [34]. The limitations include a small sample size, along limited generalisability beyond the SWWA region.…”

“…Governments and media must improve communication about COVID-safe shopping options, the adequacy of the regional Australian food supply and equitable responses to food shopping to mitigate repercussions of panic buying. Lastly, stronger contingency arrangements to maintain the food supply in regional areas should be implemented learning from industries which have remained resilient throughout the pandemic [34]. Our study indicates that systemic changes which sustain local food production, distribution, and promotion should be a priority, including support for innovative online/delivery models for local food producers.…”

Sustainability of the agri-food supply chain amidst the pandemic: Diversification, local input production, and consumer behavior

“…The inseparable relationship between resilience and sustainability has been strengthened by recent findings by Snow et al (2021) in an agri-food study done in New Zealand and Australia. The study found evidence that the high resilience of agri-food systems to the impacts of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic was driven by social, economic, and environmental subsystems.…”

“…First, social and cultural interactions catalyzed rapid acceptance, adoption, and adaptation to “a new normal and realities” regarding adherence to coronavirus containment protocols. Second, the agricultural industries' agility and other actors' ability to align value chain activities to new realities significantly minimized losses and uncertainties ( Snow et al, 2021 ). Third, the agricultural industries assimilated losses and disruptions in both input and output markets through product diversification and short supply chains, creating business cases for local manufacturing and value addition, which had positive implications on environmental, health, and economic pillars of sustainability.…”

“…Third, the agricultural industries assimilated losses and disruptions in both input and output markets through product diversification and short supply chains, creating business cases for local manufacturing and value addition, which had positive implications on environmental, health, and economic pillars of sustainability. Furthermore, Snow et al (2021) link the resilience of rural food systems to the impacts of COVID-19 containment measures on the innovative capacity of rural communities in the two countries. Thus, resilience and sustainability are inseparable constructs in the context of the ongoing pandemic because their attributes are premised on actions that reduce the effects of external disruptions on food supply chains.…”