CCRES food self-sufficient community

self-sufficiency by CCRES

Food self-sufficiency gained increased attention in a number of countries in the wake of the 2007–08 international food crisis, as countries sought to buffer themselves from volatility in world food markets. 

As well as bringing devastation to Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s war risks tipping millions of people around the world into hunger. Russia and Ukraine supply 28% of globally traded wheat, 29% of the barley, 15% of the maize, and 75% of the sunflower oil. Sanctions on Russia, and the blockade of Ukraine’s ports, have stopped much of this from getting out. And farmers elsewhere are struggling to make up the shortfall, in part because profit margins are being squeezed by the surging cost of fertilizer. 

Food self-sufficiency is often presented in policy circles as the direct opposite of international trade in food and is widely critiqued by economists as a misguided approach to food security that places political priorities ahead of economic efficiency. Likewise, some countries may have no problem securing adequate food supplies for their population through reliance on international trade. High-income countries, for example, can easily afford imported food even when food prices on world markets are high and/or volatile. Yet other countries may find it very difficult to secure adequate food imports for their population. Each country faces a unique set of circumstances regarding its ability to command food for its population, depending on its productive capacity, ability to import food, and ability to equitably distribute food domestically.

We at CCRES take a closer look at the concept of food self-sufficiency and makes the case that policy choice on this issue is far from a straightforward binary choice between the extremes of relying solely on homegrown food and a fully open trade policy for foodstuffs. It shows that in practice, food self-sufficiency is defined and measured in a number of different ways, and argues that a broader understanding of the concept opens up space for considering food self-sufficiency policy in relative terms, rather than as an either/or policy choice. Conceptualizing food self-sufficiency along a continuum may help to move the debate in a more productive direction, allowing for greater consideration of instances when the pursuit of policies to increase domestic food production may make sense both politically and economically. 

The debate on urban resilience and metabolism has directed increasing attention to the ecological footprint of food consumption, self-sufficiency as a means of food security, and regionalization of food systems for shortening supply chains. Recently, metropolitan regions have proposed food policies that aim to foster local food systems connected to their cities. Our research thus focused on the relationship between urban food demand and local food land use. 

Results show substantial variations in the spatial extent of foodsheds and self-sufficiency levels between the case study regions Zagreb, Zadar, Osijek, and Split, depending on population density and distribution, geographical factors, and proximity to neighboring urban agglomerations. The application of the model as a food planning tool offers a new perspective on the potential role of metropolitan regions in strengthening urban self-sufficiency. It also enables the *ex-ante assessment of spatial consequences of changes within metropolitan food systems, on both demand and supply sides. In particular, we discuss possible dietary and consumption changes, but also production and supply chain alternatives.

*Ex-ante evaluation is a broad initial assessment aimed at identifying which alternative will yield the greatest benefit from an intended investment. More commonly, considerable resources are used on detailed planning of a single, specific solution, whereas alternatives are not (or are inadequate) assessed early on.

Zeljko Serdar, 

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES