A snapshot of food supply chain in Wuhan under the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose The objective is to have a better understanding of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain in Wuhan. Design/methodology/approach Through a simplified flow, the authors qualitatively analyze the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain. Data was gathered through a telephone survey of food suppliers in Wuhan. Findings The prevention measures of the COVID-19 pandemic had negative impacts on food supply chain in Wuhan. About 83.1% of food suppliers experienced a decrease in revenues. This is influenced by factors including food category on sale, purchase channel of food, food supplier's household registration and the number of the COVID-19 patients in the located community. Research limitations/implications Due to the limitation of available data, there is a lack of quantitative analysis on the impact on food supply chain. The sample size of food suppliers is limited. Practical implications This study identifies the challenges in the food supply chain resulting from the control measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan and provides a reference for the design of control measures in other regions. Originality/value This study supplements the literature regarding the impact of public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain, especially food suppliers' revenues.