Abstract
Escalating intensification and homogenization occurring throughout the supply chain poses serious challenges to the global food supply. Several approaches have been developed to shift the food systems to a more resilient path; however, the high unit costs of shipping impede its development. This paper proposes a shared logistic service supported by E-commerce as a solution to this problem. It analyzes the shared logistic system developed by Vegibus Ins. in Japan which has unique features, such as fixed routes. It argues that the logistic service has the ability to connect different scales while supporting flexible transactions leading to the construction of a resilient agri-food system. At the same time, the paper points out the need for subsidies from the governments to facilitate this kind of shared logistic service at the initial stage as one limitation to this approach.
Highlights
Challenges in Resilient Agri-Food SystemThere is a growing consensus that a transformation is necessary for the global agrifood system to meet various challenges, such as degradation and loss of biodiversity, malnutrition, and rural poverty, which is further aggravated by climate change [1]
We argue that the Vegibus contributes to the establishment of a resilient agri-food system in Japan by (i) enhancing the connectivity between producers and buyers, (ii) providing choice variety, and (iii) lowering the unit cost of distribution per product
Vegibuscontributes contributesto resilient agri-food system comparing it with other local food systems while stating the potential limits of the Vegibus’ shared logistic service
Summary
There is a growing consensus that a transformation is necessary for the global agrifood system to meet various challenges, such as degradation and loss of biodiversity, malnutrition, and rural poverty, which is further aggravated by climate change [1]. The global agri-food system suffers from escalating intensification and homogenization which have been carried out on labor, capital, technology, and ecosystems, transforming the agri-food system into a large monoculture [2]. A specialized but simplified system with a narrow genetic base and taxonomic diversity is fragile when faced with disturbances such as pests, disease outbreaks, and climate change [3]. Enhancing resilience throughout the agri-food system and its supply chain is key to reducing vulnerability towards disturbances, uncertainties, and risks, and to achieve stable food distributions as well as the provision of nutrients. There are ongoing debates over the precise definition [9] as it is applied to different fields in a different manner (for a detailed overview of resilience in different fields see [10])
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