Conceptualising Disruptions in British Beef and Sheep Supply Chains during the COVID-19 Crisis

Sophie Payne-Gifford,Louise Whatford,Mehroosh Tak,Steven Van Winden,David Barling

doi:10.3390/su14031201

Sophie Payne-Gifford, Louise Whatford + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031201

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Abstract

This paper explores the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis as a disruptor to Britain’s beef and sheep supply chains. The assessment of COVID-19 impacts is based on the triangulation of farming and industry news reports, submissions to a government COVID-19 enquiry and interviews with industry experts. We find that livestock farming and farm services were least affected compared to processing, retailing, foodservice, or consumers. Primary and secondary processors continued to operate during the first COVID-19 lockdown but had to quickly become ‘COVID secure’. The most dramatic effect was the overnight closure of hospitality and catering and the redirection of supplies to the retail sector. This picture of a resilient British beef and sheep industry may also be conceptualised as relatively locked in and resistant to change. Red meat production is tied to the land it farms on and operates on 12–36-month production cycles, making it difficult to change trajectory if disruptions do not directly affect farming. Emerging changes in agricultural payments, trade post-Brexit, and societal and environmental pressures may well be the disruptors that have far-reaching impacts on the beef and sheep supply chains.

Highlights

The term food supply chain gives the impression of a linear system with one stage feeding into the and so on [1]
As the United Kingdom (UK) is the largest sheep meat producer and third largest beef meat producer in Europe [3], this paper focuses on an acute period within Britain (This analysis focuses on Britain, comprised of England, Scotland, and Wales and excludes Northern Ireland government departments often serve the United Kingdom) during the full COVID-19 lockdown from March 2020 to June 2020 within the beef and sheep meat supply chains
We describe the effects of the acute period of the pandemic on each part of the national supply chain, i.e., the effect on farming, followed by the effect on livestock markets and followed by the effect on processing, and so on

Summary

Introduction

The term food supply chain gives the impression of a linear system with one stage feeding into the and so on [1]. The linear structure of supply chains sits within a complex web of interconnected organisations, individuals, and enterprises whose interdependencies and relationships form the food system, and shape the functioning of those chains. This complexity can increase once trade and intertwining of global, as well as national or even local supply chains, are considered. The vulnerability of our food supply and the need for transformative change has been emphasised by multiple shocks and stressors that have impacted our food supply chains, such as climate change and this recent COVID-19 pandemic [1,2]. This paper starts with the impacts on-farm and traces them through to consumption patterns

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