In recent years, the global food network has operated fairly seamlessly. Consumer demand has been consistent and supplies chain disruption minimal, which means the flow of goods from farm to fork has been relatively easy for suppliers and retailers to predict and accommodate. But the current system relies much too heavily on this consistency and has ultimately prioritized efficiency and cost reduction over long-term supply chain resilience.

The outbreak of COVID-19 presented global food supply chains with a series of major challenges. But it also served as a stark warning of what the future might hold if major changes in the system don't occur.

In the months following the coronavirus outbreak, the stability of global food International shipping took a major hit.

For starters, a dip in shipping frequency saw containers piling up in some corners of the world while in others, exporters were finding them almost impossible to come by.

As global trade subsequently slowed and the food services industry all but ground to a halt, crops were left to rot and farmers were forced to dump large quantities of unwanted produce. Others quickly pivoted to reduce their operations to cut back on unnecessary costs but still struggled due to a reliance on single-source buyers.

The sudden and drastic shift in consumer spending, which comprised stockpiling and panic-buying, put a further strain on retailers and supply chains around the globe. For many consumers, this marked the first time they had been unable to purchase the produce they wanted on-demand.

While these factors certainly put global food supply chains to the test, the industry has been relatively quick to bounce back. Farmers and wholesalers found new buyers or repurposed their products into smaller sizes for retail sale, while the food services industry has gradually sprung back to life. More concerning are the warnings of future disruptions — ones that the global food supply chain may not be so quick to recover from.

How can we learn from the devastation caused by COVID-19 and prepare for a brighter, and much more resilient, future?

In today's world, restaurants have re-opened, grocery store shelves are bursting at the seams, and we are enjoying a new kind of normal. But challenges remain for global food supply chains.

In October of last year, BRINK News reported on the spikes in shipping container prices, driven in part by the renewed demand for products in the food services sector. Container costs between China and North America, for example, were up a whopping 1,250%.

Furthermore, more frequent instances of extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and windstorms, will further disrupt supply chains, ruin crops, impact livestock, and affect water supplies.

It's believed that a large-scale disaster, whether it be a severe weather event or a crop disease outbreak, could decrease food production by 10-15%, with one report estimating that staple food crops will decline by a third by 2050. This would ultimately lead to issues at a scale far greater than we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.