There are very few industries that will remain unimpacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some industries are thriving, such as online learning and remote work tools, but the majority will take a major hit in the coming months. The agri-food industry is an important focus during this time because of its essential services that it provides to all of us. We all need food. There is no option for our food system to fail. Now is the time to figure out how to build its resilience in the face of adversity.  

It is important to note that at the moment, there is no indication that Covid-19 will lead to food scarcity issues or disruptions in the supply chain in the United States; however, the current situation has illustrated the weak points in our highly centralized commodity food system that leaves us vulnerable to potential food shortages. Any one of the following scenarios could mean sky-high food prices or food shortages in the coming months:

• Large scale farm-labor shortages due to high infection rates in agricultural workers or a shortage of farm workers due to a decline in temporary work visas for seasonal agricultural work. 

• Food production shut-downs due to increased infections in factory lines that often have workers standing shoulder to shoulder.

• Disruption of international trade for food ingredients that are manufactured overseas.

Any of the three scenarios listed above could play out in the coming months. They have real implications on both the cost and accessibility of the seemingly limitless food supply that many North American’s have come to rely upon. The large scale, commodity system is such a complex web of relationships that just one piece of the puzzle breaking down could have catastrophic consequences down the food chain. While it is important to figure out how to increase the resilience of the large scale system during this time,  it is also time to shift resources towards building out resilient local food systems. 

While everyone has a different definition of “local,” I use this term to refer to any agri-food business that operates outside of the large commodity agriculture system. I am referring to the farms that have found ways to grow and deliver direct to consumers and food that is made without traveling thousands of miles from farm to plate. Local food systems are important because they are less vulnerable to global disruptions in the supply chain. It is much easier to figure out how to feed people and distribute food in a crisis if it is coming from 15 miles away rather than 1,500.

While this is a time when we need to be focusing on local farms and food companies, many of these small businesses are among the hardest hit.  Our local producers: small market garden farmers, vegetable producers, and urban farmers achieve profitability by selling to chefs and high end restaurants for a premium to off-set lower margin parts of their business. Without this high-margin revenue, it is going to be difficult for these small farms that operate on a shoestring budget to stay in business.

How To Support Local Food Systems:

The following list isn’t exhaustive but it shares a couple of actions that we as individuals, communities or the government can take to step up and support the essential work of businesses contributing to the local food system.

• Farmers Markets Must Be Deemed “Essential Businesses”: Right now, each state makes the decision on whether farmers markets are deemed as “essential businesses.” Because farmers markets are the primary way that many consumers access food, it is critical that they stay in business. Additionally, without this avenue to sell produce, many small farms will struggle to make ends meet. There are ways to make farmers markets as safe or even safer than grocery stores with open air environments and the proper safety measures in place.

• The Community Supported Agriculture Model Needs Support: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model that describes a farm that has customers buy in at the beginning of the season for a “share” in the farm. Consumers commit to getting a “share” or a “half of a share” per week and in turn get fresh, local, produce from the farm throughout the season. This is a fantastic model for those looking to access food without having to go to the grocery store. There needs to be more sharing of information and a push to get more community members signed up for CSAs.

• Local Farms Should Provide Food For Those In Need: Many farmers markets already have a way to accept those with SNAP Benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and are a source of food for the low-income population. Additionally, in recent years more local farms have won contracts to source local schools’ food programs. With many schools operating through remote learning right now, this has gone away. Local farms should be prioritized for contracts to supply local food banks, school-feeding programs and other food assistance programs that have been started.

• Local Food System Policy Needs Support: Farmers planting commodity crops have a backstop through the federal crop insurance program. Commodity crop growers can plant corn and with crop insurance be guaranteed a minimum return on their crop. There is no similar program for small market garden farmers serving the community. If we are serious about wanting to build more resilient local food systems, our agriculture policy needs to back that up. 

As a nation that has grocery store shelves stocked with cheap food and an expansive number of options, many of us are unaware of the very few crops and ingredients that make up the majority of our food. A disruption in just one of these crops or main supply chains can cause a domino effect and the whole system is at risk of falling apart. The Covid-19 outbreak is a prime opportunity to take stock of the risk of a centralized commodity crop system and think outside of the box about ways to create local food systems that are more resilient in the face of adversity.