Envisioning the Future of European Food Systems: Approaches and Research Priorities After COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the fragility of food sovereignty in cities and confirmed the close connection urban dwellers have with food. Although the pandemic was not responsible for a systemic failure, it suggested how citizens would accept and indeed support a transition toward more localized food production systems. As this attitudinal shift is aligned with the sustainability literature, this work aims to explore the tools and actions needed for a policy framework transformation that recognizes the multiple benefits of food systems, while considering local needs and circumstances. This perspective paper reviews the trends in production and consumption, and systematizes several impacts emerged across European food systems in response to the first wave of pandemic emergency, with the final aim of identifying challenges and future strategies for research and innovation toward the creation of resilient and sustainable city/region food systems. The proposal does not support a return to traditional small-scale economies that might not cope with the growing global population. It instead stands to reconstruct and upscale such connections using a “think globally act locally” mind-set, engaging local communities, and making existing and future citizen-led food system initiatives more sustainable. The work outlines a set of recommended actions for policy-makers: support innovative and localized food production, training and use of information and communication technology for food production and distribution; promote cross-pollination among city/region food systems; empower schools as agents of change in food provision and education about food systems; and support the development of assessment methodologies and the application of policy tools to ensure that the different sustainability dimensions of the food chain are considered.

“We Have Been Part of the Response”: The Effects of COVID-19 on Community and Allotment Gardens in the Global North

“…The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis to have resulted in a resurgence of urban gardening and farming. Local food production increased in response to varied consequences of the pandemic: supermarket shortages in the early days of the pandemic (Busby, 2020;Evans and Davies, 2020;Molteno, 2020); perceived risks to commercial food systems (Vittuari et al, 2021); free time due to furloughs and working from home (Sams, 2020); and even the desire for physical activity to address obesity, a co-morbidity for COVID-19 (BBC News, 2020).…”

“…There were commonalities between the views of policy stakeholders and those of gardeners regarding COVID-19induced challenges and opportunities for food production and sales. One main point of divergence was that, in line with the literature (Vittuari et al, 2021), policy stakeholders in some of the case study countries focused on the importance locally produced food has gained in the pandemic and at the relevance of strengthening local markets, while gardeners' and farmers' views focused more on the direct impact the pandemic caused, pointing at changed distribution strategies or effects of the lockdown on the participation of volunteers. The latter also focused more on the gardens' important role in mental wellbeing and socialization.…”

Significance and Vision of Nutrient Recovery for Sustainable City Food Systems in Germany by 2050

“…Consumers cooked more often for themselves and used more fresh ingredients when cooking [22]. As a short-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher consumer awareness and demand for environmentally and socially sound products facilitate local food consumption patterns and boost the diffusion of proximity production and local distribution systems [87]. Long-term impacts involve an increase in the online demand for foods and beverages and stakeholders growing understanding of the importance of strategic and local partnerships and networks, both to increase their value and improve their ability to cope with possible future crises [87].…”

Introduction to the Special Issue “A Systemic Perspective on Urban Food Supply: Assessing Different Types of Urban Agriculture”

“…The production of food within cities through urban agriculture (UA) can be considered a nature-based solution positively contributing to environmental, social, and economic challenges, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, social cohesion and economic development by providing green jobs, for instance [2], and securing regional resilience [3]. The value of urban food production becomes increasingly visible in times of crisis, in particular, and is argued to be a crucial response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, fostering food security and access to green spaces in cities [4,5].…”