Food system resilience measurement: principles, framework and caveats

Abstract

There is growing recognition that a better understanding of how food systems respond to crises is critical to build and protect the food security of local populations. But rigorous and reliable methods to measure food system resilience are still missing. In this paper, we build on the current literature to develop an analytical framework aimed at assessing the resilience of food systems at local level. The novel element of the analysis lies in the levels at which resilience is considered. Combining the individual actor level with the notion of 'emergent properties' of food systems, we argue that the overall resilience of food system results from processes that take place – and need to be measured – at both individual and system levels. The framework is structured around three components: (i) the mapping of the actors and the local food system; (ii) the assessment of the resilience of these actors and that of the food system, and (iii) the outcomes of this resilience, assessed in term of local population’s food security. For each of those components, indicators are proposed and the ways to collect them are discussed. The paper then presents the types of analyses that would be necessary to complete to gain a better understanding of the situation regarding the resilience of the local food system under consideration, including the analysis of “positive deviance” among food system actors. The paper concludes with a series of reflections about the caveats and challenges that one may face when attempting to assess food system resilience.

Exploring food system resilience to the global polycrisis in six Asian countries

“…Research should delve into identifying which indicators prove most descriptive and useful across different levels and components of the food system and identify the minimum set of indicators that can be used to measure the entire food systems continuum ( 13 , 48 ). These should be relevant for and applicable to diverse food systems at both national and subnational levels.…”

Local food system and household responses to external shocks: the case of sustainable coffee farmers and their cooperatives in Western Honduras during COVID-19

“…We used a food system approach to better understand the effect of mobility restrictions on household food security. Figure 1 describes the different stepwise activities of the food system (i.e., production, processing, sale, and consumption) and the various actors involved in each step, as defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) (Ericksen, 2008;HLPE, 2014HLPE, , 2017Béné et al, 2016Béné et al, , 2023. The food system outcomes contributing to food security dimensions such as food access and availability (Ericksen, 2008;Ingram, 2011), and are affected by shocks and stressors (socioeconomic drivers), such as changes in demography or income.…”

Study on the Measurement of the the Grain Industry Chain Resilience and its Influencing Factors: A Case from China

“…In terms of grain resilience measurement, most scholars increasingly recognize that grain industry resilience is a critical path to address the grain security crisis, but there is still a lack of accurate methods to measure grain system resilience. Béné et al reported that grain system resilience is derived from individual actors and phylogenetic processes, and established a system for assessing grain resilience consisting of absorptive capacity, adaptability and reform capability [15]. Specifically, tangible elements include easily measurable capabilities such as improved farming methods, income levels, livelihood diversification, and safety nets.…”