Food supply chains during the COVID‐19 pandemic

TLDR

The study evaluates how the COVID‑19 pandemic affects food supply chains and resilience, examining immediate disruptions and potential long‑term shifts toward online grocery delivery and local sourcing. It analyzes demand‑side shocks—panic buying and a move from food‑service to home meals—and supply‑side disruptions such as labor shortages, transport network breakdowns, and increased border restrictions between Canada and the U.S.

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides an early assessment of the implications of the COVID‐19 pandemic for food supply chains and supply chain resilience. The effects of demand‐side shocks on food supply chains are discussed, including consumer panic buying behaviors with respect to key items, and the sudden change in consumption patterns away from the food service sector to meals prepared and consumed at home. Potential supply‐side disruptions to food supply chains are assessed, including labor shortages, disruptions to transportation networks, and “thickening” of the Canada–U.S. border with respect to the movement of goods. Finally, the paper considers whether the COVID‐19 pandemic will have longer‐lasting effects on the nature of food supply chains, including the growth of the online grocery delivery sector, and the extent to which consumers will prioritize “local” food supply chains.