Strategic Approach to Food System Resiliency from Community-Based Initiatives During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Although the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a significant public health challenge to humanity, measures like lockdowns let to cascading effects that impacted the food system to such extent, that its rebuilding became an imminent issue. As part of the food system, “of alternative food networks (AFNs) and emergency food networks (EFNs) did not escape to that change. In fact, because of their predominant community-based background, they highlighted their local capabilities as an asset for the food system to be adaptive from supply chain disruptions during the crisis. Concerned by the exacerbation of food insecurity, which because of the magnitude of crisis could not be exclusively handled by public-private established organizations, these stakeholders supported on social solidarity to keep service levels as stable as possible, not only by struggling to keep their already existing supply and distribution channels running, but also creating new ones. Through a case study approach, this paper characterises and analyses eight community-based initiatives that either rebuilt or started up a food supply chain during the Covid-19 outbreak peaks in Medellín, Colombia. In addition, based on a prospective planning approach, this research identified change factors that had the potential to become a long-term capability to install resiliency in the food system when future threats set on. Finally, a strategic approach is developed as an input to impact local food security risk policies through disaster risk reduction under the frame of preparedness, as well as for the food system resiliency in non-emergency contexts.