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Food System Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Roman Solidarity Purchasing Groups

Author

Listed:
  • Simona Tarra

    (Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Via Francesco De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy)

  • Giampiero Mazzocchi

    (Department of Policies and Bio-economics, Council for Agricultural Research and the Analysis of Agricultural Economics (CREA), Via Po 14, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Davide Marino

    (Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Via Francesco De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy)

Abstract

The restriction measures linked to the COVID-19 shock suddenly highlighted the vulnerability of most socioeconomic systems, including the food sector. In a context in which the limitation to the movement of people and goods has put the longer and more structured supply chains in serious difficulty, many experiences and initiatives have emerged as viable alternatives. The aim of the research was to understand if and how the Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPG) of Rome have contributed to the resilience of the food system of the metropolitan city during the lockdown. The research was based on the results of a questionnaire administered to the SPGs of Rome during the first period of the pandemic (April–July 2020), enriched by some in-depth interviews carried out by the authors. What emerged was that, despite the limited extent in terms of products conveyed within the whole food system, the SPGs represented an important food supply channel during the lockdown period, for two main reasons: a greater flexibility and agility in moving and in handling goods and the possibility of remunerating local farms, contributing to the resilience of the local agri-food fabric. The analysis of the results confirms the strong vitality of such Food Movements in Rome and, at the same time, allows for the identification of a series of interventions that the institutions could adopt to favor the spread of a food environment more compatible with more sustainable and fairer forms of food production and distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Simona Tarra & Giampiero Mazzocchi & Davide Marino, 2021. "Food System Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Roman Solidarity Purchasing Groups," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:2:p:156-:d:499136
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Giaime Berti, 2020. "Sustainable Agri-Food Economies: Re-Territorialising Farming Practices, Markets, Supply Chains, and Policies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-9, March.
    3. Foran, Tira & Butler, James R.A. & Williams, Liana J. & Wanjura, Wolf J. & Hall, Andy & Carter, Lucy & Carberry, Peter S., 2014. "Taking Complexity in Food Systems Seriously: An Interdisciplinary Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 85-101.
    4. Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, 2020. "How COVID-19 is Changing the World," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 33773.
    5. William Hynes & Benjamin Trump & Patrick Love & Igor Linkov, 2020. "Bouncing forward: a resilience approach to dealing with COVID-19 and future systemic shocks," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 174-184, June.
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    2. Di Stradis, Francesca & Pilati, Francesco & Rossi, Alessandro, 2023. "Towards Sustainable E-Grocery Delivery: Investigating Consumer's Preferences In An Italian Region," 97th Annual Conference, March 27-29, 2023, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 334571, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    3. Yameng Wang & Apurbo Sarkar & Linyan Ma & Qian Wu & Feng Wei, 2021. "Measurement of Investment Potential and Spatial Distribution of Arable Land among Countries within the “Belt and Road Initiative”," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.

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