Local food systems as a resilient strategy to ensure sustainable food security in crisis: Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic and perspectives for the post-pandemic world

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected food supply chains and threatened global food security. The nations excessively relying on the import of food were severely affected. The food shortages in various countries worldwide were due to multiple reasons, such as unavailability of land, infertility of the available land, and excessive reliance on the import of foods. The excessive dependence on a few mainstream crops increases the vulnerabilities of the communities. However, several plants, known as traditional or indigenous food plants, are consumed by local populations and form the basis of robust local food systems. They are not cultivated at a large scale in a large area, but local communities have access to the locally available plants that grow near their settlements. Local foods are particularly vital during situations similar to pandemics and wars when the global supply chains are disrupted. This article emphasises the potential of local food system supply chains as a resilient strategy for food security in emergencies such as COVID-19. It further attempts to provide important insights into the vulnerabilities associated with mainstream foods, their impact on food insecurity, and the forthcoming roles of alternative local food systems based on local indigenous plants.