Abstract

The Biden Administration is reviewing supply chains as part of its response to recent supply chain failures during COVID-19, and anticipated disrup­tions associated with climate change. This policy analysis discusses supply chain management, that is, the monitoring and continual improvement of materials flow and information flow to better manage risk. We are in an era of proprietary big data and digitized applications to make sense of it. Healthy food systems require policy to address unequal access to food systems data and informa­tion that occurs between businesses as well as between private businesses and government. Managing risk to a nation’s overall food system is an important government function that includes setting fair market rules and ensuring open infor­mation exchange in food supply chains. In this way, our government ensures equitable food and market access as new technologies and disruptions arise. This paper reviews these concepts consider­ing current policy actions of the Biden Administration.

Highlights

  • The COVID-19 disruptions generated increased public awareness of the importance—and vulnerabilities—of supply chains across all sectors of the economy

  • The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s “Know Your Farmer” campaign carried out during the Obama Administration emphasized customer-to-farmer information exchange, an important component of local food networks. Such direct markets create a means for information exchange between sellers, such as the going rate for goods and services

  • While our government need not be in the business of managing food supply chains, since businesses serve that function, government must monitor and ensure competitive markets, especially in wholesale markets, if we are to attain food system resilience

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 disruptions generated increased public awareness of the importance—and vulnerabilities—of supply chains across all sectors of the economy. Keywords Food Supply Chains, Information Asymmetry, Big Data, Regional Food, Policy, Market Competition, Risk, Food Flow, Digitization, National Security Equitable access to information is necessary for governments to set market rules that are more equitable, resilient, and responsive and for entrepreneurial businesses to create novel food supply chains.

Objectives
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call