Building resilient food systems: A resilience assessment framework for food supply

Authors

• Karoliina Rimhanen Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki
• Pasi Rikkonen Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Lönnrotinkatu 7 50100 Mikkeli, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.164038

Keywords:

food security, resilience, system analysis, risk assessment, adaptation, indicators, stakeholders

Abstract

Food supply systems operate in increasingly uncertain and dynamic environments, where disturbances can affect performance and long-term viability. Strengthening resilience is therefore a strategic priority for food security, yet practical system-level assessment tools remain limited. This paper presents a framework that operationalizes resilience as three interrelated capacities: robustness, recovery, and reorientation. It offers a stepwise process integrating quantitative and qualitative indicators, including stakeholder-based assessments. By combining evidence on system structures and dependencies with actor-related knowledge on preparedness, coordination, learning, and adaptation, the framework enables transparent interpretation of strengths, vulnerabilities, and trade-offs. An application to the dairy sector illustrates its use in characterizing structure, interpreting capacities, and identifying development needs. The framework is adaptable across sectors and regions, depending on data and stakeholder engagement. It contributes research by linking resilience theory with practical assessment logic and advancing mixed-method approaches for system-level analysis, providing a basis for scientific and policy reflection under uncertainty. The approach also supports comparison across cases and informs decision-making on risk management, investment, and governance priorities.