A Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply: The Coronavirus Crisis and Other Challenges

The term “resilience” denotes the ability to cope with and adapt to crises. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, food sovereignty and a resilient food supply have become more important than ever. Formerly often taken for granted, the food supply became a topic of widespread public concern, especially during the first months of the pandemic. Even at the height of the first wave in March/April 2020, the food supply was maintained throughout Germany thanks to the continued functioning of most logistics systems, agricultural production and food production in general. Nevertheless, short-term local shortages of certain products did occur due to higher demand in the food retail sector caused by panic buying. A number of other challenges also became apparent during this period and the months that followed. Huge fluctuations in demand had consequences for entire value chains, there was a shortage of seasonal workers, and fruit and vegetable prices rose. Based on the experience of the crisis so far, a number of conclusions can be drawn for future reference