Prioritising key variables for assessing food system resilience in Finland

Abstract

Building food system resilience enables the system to buffer, adapt and transform in response to changes. Identification of key variables of resilience support actors and policymakers managing the food systems. The objective of this study was to identify the most important variables to assess food system resilience and actors with the best opportunities to take responsibility for preparing for disruptions. We operationalised the key variables of resilience in the Finnish food system and evaluated them using a Delphi expert method. We produced a framework for food system resilience, including three indispensable interacting levels of action and good practices within each supporting resilience building. In the prioritisation of key variables, diversity in production, versatile cooperation between actors based on trust, independence of external inputs, system understanding, and renewable domestic energy were considered the most important. Research and administration play a key role in producing information and implementing actions targeted especially at agriculture, where actions are expected to be the most efficient and impactful. In the whole food system, increasing transparency would help create trust and thus promote co-creation of sustainable practices. Platforms to obtain information about future risks and for co-creating solutions for building food system resilience are needed.