Shaping more resilient and just food systems: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sanderson Bellamy, Angelina; Furness, Ella; Nicol, Poppy; Pitt, Hannah; Taherzadeh, Alice

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in global food systems, as well as opening windows of opportunity for innovation and transformation. While the nature and extent of this crisis is rare, extreme climatic events will increase in magnitude and frequency, threatening similar societal impacts. It is therefore critical to identify mechanisms for developing food systems that are resilient to such impacts. We examine impacts of the crisis on UK food systems and how these further entrenched social inequalities. We present data on the experiences and actions of producers, consumers, and community organisers. The data were collected by adapting ongoing research to include surveys, interviews and online workshops focused on the pandemic. Actors’ responses to the pandemic foreshadow how enduring change to food systems can be achieved. We identify support required to enable these transformations and argue that it is vital that these opportunities are em-bedded in food justice principles which promote people-centred approaches to avoid exacerbating injustices prevalent pre-crisis. Learning from these experiences therefore provides insights for how to make food systems elsewhere more resilient and just.

Citation

Sanderson Bellamy, A., Furness, E., Nicol, P., Pitt, H., & Taherzadeh, A. (2021). Shaping more resilient and just food systems: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 50, 782-793. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01532-y

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 28, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 9, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Deposit Date: Jul 7, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 8, 2021
• Journal: Ambio
• Print ISSN: 0044-7447
• Electronic ISSN: 1654-7209
• Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Pages: 782-793
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01532-y
• Keywords: Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Environmental Chemistry; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7197366
• Additional Information: Received: 1 September 2020; Revised: 22 November 2020; Accepted: 28 January 2021; First Online: 9 March 2021