Aiming for better livelihoods in crisis an opportunity in normal times

Sweden is currently about 50 per cent self-sufficient, a relatively low figure compared with Finland's 80 per cent, for example. Aiming for greater self-sufficiency is important to strengthen our resilience in crises like the current one - but it can also be a way to become more efficient, more sustainable and to find new business in normal times.

Security of supply is important all along the food chain

High food security is about what and how we grow, harvest, handle, preserve and store food raw materials. It is also about how we process, manufacture, store and transport the food we produce.

In normal times, increased production here at home is an opportunity to steer food production towards better management of resources, lower climate impact and stable jobs - and not least a chance to increase exports of Swedish quality goods.

But a higher degree of self-sufficiency also provides greater resilience to various types of change, such as temporary shortages of raw materials and inputs, or disruptions in the logistics chain during crises, emergencies and, ultimately, war.

"In the best of all possible worlds, import and export systems will work in the face of disruption, but if they don't, we need to ensure that we have the supply capacity to meet production and distribution needs. And to be resilient, we need the whole food industry, including both primary production and the food processing industry," says Birgitta Raaholt, senior researcher at RISE in the area of supply preparedness and resource-smart manufacturing technology.

"The whole industry therefore needs to be updated and prepared. The various stakeholders are working together with RISE – which acts as a knowledge hub – on everything from identifying replacement goods, alternative production of spare parts, food safety in the event of disruptions in the regular supply chain, finding ways to safeguard operations in the event of disruptions, risk analysis (see fact box).

It's not just about what we produce, but how we use the resources we need to do it. Resource efficiency is important for both livelihoods and sustainability - how we make the best use of resources when, for example, energy and water are scarce.

"This goes hand in hand with both resilience and sustainability perspectives", says Birgitta Raaholt.

Robust, sustainable and safe food production

In terms of our ability to gently produce safe food that can withstand storage and transport, there are several advantages to using new technologies for food production.

"These include making greater use of certain crops that were previously used less for food processing and more for animal feed. Conserving a resource may mean using more energy-efficient baking and drying techniques. And that it might be wise to use peas on the plate instead of making flour from them to make a product that looks like sausage," says Birgitta Raaholt.

Resilience is about our food system being able to cope with "a bit of a wobble". Some production is more resilient, says Birgitta Raaholt, pointing to livestock as an example.

"Our livestock graze and are still there when the power goes out. The same goes for a food like eggs, which can be kept at room temperature even if the power goes out. Processed foods include UHT milk and highly pasteurised, sterilised or dehydrated foods."

However, food production also depends on a range of so-called inputs, such as seeds, fertilisers, fuels and agricultural pesticides.

"For example, we can look at the domestic production of plant nutrients. In food processing, it's about production readiness and access to raw materials, packaging, refrigerants... But also the ability to maintain a functioning infrastructure and comply with regulations on safe food and food handling," says Birgitta Raaholt.

Modern – and traditional – storage methods needed

Both large and small players in the food industry are now using modern storage techniques. But households also need to know more about how to ensure that they are prepared at home, and how to store food sustainably and well.

"This is something we need to work on more. In normal times it's easy to go to the shops and buy what we need, but we still need to have an emergency plan at home. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency has put a lot of pressure on this, so that everyone who is able should be able to cope for a week," says Birgitta Raaholt.

The next step is for the transport and logistics chain to function. Both for the arrival of the goods and as part of food safety – that is, the food has to be transported and stored properly until it reaches the person who will eat it.

"If you have disruptions that bring the system down, this places additional demands on the robustness of the chain. For example, if you don't have the power to keep the cold chain going, people can get sick. Packaging is also necessary to store and maintain the quality of food, as are pasteurisation and drying processes."

Flexible preparedness is one way

The global pandemics of recent years have given us several examples of how preparedness can be about the ability to quickly adjust production to obtain key commodities. Often this involves cooperation between different actors.

"One concept we are working on together with industry is flexible preparedness. It's about how industrial production in Sweden can adapt during a crisis. It could be things like a number of companies working together to develop strategies for production, as we saw with face masks during the pandemic. It is conceivable that similar solutions can be implemented in the food industry," says Birgitta Raaholt.

"Much of our work focuses on technical solutions for production transition and collaborative models for flexible preparedness. This may involve managing service and maintenance, or manufacturing the spare parts needed in the food industry. Strategies for storage and resource-efficient manufacturing are also necessary elements of resilient food production."