Reducing Food Supply Chain Disruptions

Empty Grocery Shelves? 3 Ways You Can Reduce The Impacts of Food Supply Chain Disruptions

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global economy has taken a beating in terms of supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages.

Interlaced with the problems of moving goods from one location to another, heat, drought, superstorms, wildfires, intense flooding, and unexpected cold snaps are wreaking havoc on food production world-wide. The end result is that grocery store shelves may be empty while food sits at farms or in warehouses unable to reach the markets. Food supply chain disruptions will continue to affect us all in 2022.

The combined supply chain disruptions and climate change impacts are hitting you straight in the pocket book when it comes to accessing affordable food.

Last year saw the price of food in Canada climb by 5% on average. The estimated cost of feeding a family of 4 (consisting of two adults and two children) in 2021 was $13,800. This cost is expected to climb by 5 to 7% again in 2022. That will bring costs up by $966 to an estimated $14,766 to feed a family of four.

I don’t know about you, but finding an extra $1000 for food this year seems daunting. Because along with escalating food costs, come increases in transportation, health care, home insurance, home heating and cooling, and so on. . . . income doesn't seem to be keeping up.

So what can you do to help make ends meet?

3 Ways to Reduce the Impacts of Food Supply Chain Disruptions

(1) Grow Your Own Food

When the cost of food is set to jump by 5 to 7% for the second year in a row, it’s time to look for ways to grow some of your own food. Every little bit helps to reduce your food bill!

First time growers can start with some simple, but highly nutritious greens to supplement their food supply. Check out the Get-Started Garden 30-Day Challenge to discover how to create a continuous supply of greens right at home.

If you have a yard, consider converting your lawn into garden space. A balcony or terrace? Then try growing food in planters and pots. No space at all? Luckily sprouts and micro-greens can be grown right inside your kitchen, or on a sunny window sill.

The higher food prices climb, and the more unstable the supply chain becomes, the more it will pay to grow something yourself.

Get-Started Garden - Buy Now

(2) Shop Local

Supply chain disruptions become all but irrelevant if you focus your buying power on supporting local farmers, producers and markets. Instead of grocery shopping at large retail outlets and big-box stores, vote with your dollars by buying from locally owned and operated stores or farmer’s markets. Better still, develop a relationship with a local farmer or producer.

Some communities have local buy & sell or free store opportunities.

You can also work together with your neighbors or friends to create localize supply chains and barter systems.

Local food systems are far more resilient to supply chain disruptions. However, to be successful, you need to be committed to supporting the growth of this local supply.

Just keep in mind that these systems are still vulnerable to local climate change impacts like storms, droughts and floods though.

(3) Waste Less

A zero-cost option for reducing your food bills comes from wasting less. You can save 25% of your grocery bill or more just by taking actions that reduce household food waste.

You can reduce food waste by:

· Making just enough

· Using up leftovers

· Preserving the extras (e.g. freezing, canning or drying surplus foods)

· Sharing with friends

· Composting scraps to create better soils for growing more food at home

· Feeding scraps to chickens to create eggs

Wasting less food saves you money, and it reduces pressure on the food supply chain which helps other people save money too.

Turn Adversity into Opportunity

Don’t let skyrocketing food costs prevent your family from accessing healthy and nutritious foods. By learning to grow food, shopping locally and supporting local suppliers, and wasting less you can protect yourself from rising costs AND help the planet. Creating resilience in the food supply is possible if we focus on re-establishing local supply chains and reducing our dependence of foods shipped over long distances.

Make 2022 the year you establish a food garden, get to know a farmer, and perfect your leftover casserole recipe! You’ll be glad you did.

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