Resilient regional food supply chains and rethinking the way forward: Key takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic

The U.S. food supply system relies heavily on vertically-integrated food supply chains (FSCs), which leverage large-scale production, streamlined operations, and centralized planning and control to provide consumers with a consistent supply of food. However, these FSCs were seriously disrupted upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. During the height of the crisis, they were slow to respond to production system failures and sudden and widespread changes in consumer demand. By contrast, many regionalized food supply chains (RFSCs) proved to be adaptive and responsive to changes in demand and delivery requirements, quickly pivoting to distribute products directly to consumers safely.The objective of this research is to explore how RFSCs can improve the resilience of the U.S. food supply system in the face of large-scale disruptions like the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, this research seeks to gain a greater understanding of how RFSCs can leverage logistics best practices for efficient and reliable distribution to consumers in normal times and during disasters.This study presents seven case studies of RFSCs in Texas and Iowa that adopted logistics best practices to enable them to provide their customers with convenient and safe purchasing mechanisms during the COVID-19 emergency. A description of how the strategies adopted by each participant promote the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals is provided.The successes experienced by these farmers and distributors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were a consequence of their willingness to adopt new distribution and logistics strategies. Collaboration among RFSC actors was a particularly effective strategy, as well as the adoption of scale-appropriate information and communication technologies, which helped to facilitate collaboration. Further, these case studies demonstrate how improved logistics performance allowed RFSCs to contribute to the health and well-being of their communities in a time of need.These case studies demonstrate the potential of RFSCs to support a resilient and socially-sustainable food system that communities can rely on, even in the face of a major disruption like COVID-19. The adoption of logistics best practices helped these RFSCs to develop new organizational strengths that will likely support sustainable development in their communities after the crisis ends.