Capital mobility and knowledge diffusion from China into Ghana's food production subsector : Implications for the law and politics of food sector development strategies

Food System Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Roman Solidarity Purchasing Groups

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11020156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 156

Author(s):

Simona Tarra ◽

Giampiero Mazzocchi ◽

Davide Marino

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Food Production ◽

Food System ◽

Limited Extent ◽

Important Food ◽

Food Sector ◽

Supply Channel ◽

Production And Distribution ◽

System Resilience ◽

Depth Interviews

The restriction measures linked to the COVID-19 shock suddenly highlighted the vulnerability of most socioeconomic systems, including the food sector. In a context in which the limitation to the movement of people and goods has put the longer and more structured supply chains in serious difficulty, many experiences and initiatives have emerged as viable alternatives. The aim of the research was to understand if and how the Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPG) of Rome have contributed to the resilience of the food system of the metropolitan city during the lockdown. The research was based on the results of a questionnaire administered to the SPGs of Rome during the first period of the pandemic (April–July 2020), enriched by some in-depth interviews carried out by the authors. What emerged was that, despite the limited extent in terms of products conveyed within the whole food system, the SPGs represented an important food supply channel during the lockdown period, for two main reasons: a greater flexibility and agility in moving and in handling goods and the possibility of remunerating local farms, contributing to the resilience of the local agri-food fabric. The analysis of the results confirms the strong vitality of such Food Movements in Rome and, at the same time, allows for the identification of a series of interventions that the institutions could adopt to favor the spread of a food environment more compatible with more sustainable and fairer forms of food production and distribution.

Download Full-text