Farrelly & Mitchell presents our perspective on food supply disruption through our report, Supply chains and food security: assessing the impact of disruptive forces. In producing this report, we have dug deep into our own regional and international expertise, and also drawn from the wealth of published information on this subject in government and business archives.
The 2020 global coronavirus pandemic serves once again to remind us of the external threats to our agri-food supply chains. It is relatively novel that the present disruptive threat comes from a dangerous virus, rather than phenomena we are more familiar with, such as financial crises or conflicts.
Such pandemics, predicted to arise more often, and the ever-increasing difficulties posed by global warming show that evolving and improving our food supply chains is essential.
Not only do these disruptors demand a capable response but there should also be a proactive approach to improvement as complacent belief in the supply chain status quo leaves us unnecessarily vulnerable to known and unknown threats to our food security.
Over $1.1 trillion worth of agricultural produce is traded worldwide each year, indicating the complexity and scale of the international market.
Our analysts have taken an in-depth look at the disruptors that blindsided us in the past and the present, and perhaps looming larger than all, the challenge to food supply posed by climate change, along with our recommendations in tackling these, building a more robust system.
The Nature of Modern Food Supply
The report first looks at the nature of our globalised food supply chain. The strengths associated with modern food supplies have produced great efficiencies in how our food and beverage produce reaches around the planet, for the best possible commercial outcomes in the most optimal times.
Despite the fantastic outcomes technology has made possible, there are some glaring weaknesses in how the chain operates, weaknesses that are fully exposed at times of crisis wrought by economics, health, natural disaster and political events that blindside our complacency.
The repercussions are financially painful but the threat to human health and life on the planet itself are more lasting.
Recent Disruptions Exposing Limitations
In recent times, we have experienced the full range of disruptions and the report examines some of these. The Great Japanese Earthquake hit Japan financially, but it has also had to overcome significant reputational damage.
The corona virus and the Beirut explosion have also shown up the limits of our systems. If any good emerges from these difficulties it is the human ability to learn and improve its food security resilience.
The Lebanese explosion in particular highlights the dangers of poor policy making, lack of contingency and neglect of food supply strategy to threaten the very existence of a nation.
That country failed to prioritise its food security ahead of political conflict. A failure to diversify supply lines and promote self-sufficiency leaves it extremely vulnerable as this report is launched.
Over 70% of trade in food and agriculture products originates in just 10 countries, with oilseeds, cereals, meat and dairy among the most concentrated food groups. As these comparative advantages are maximised, the potential for black swan events to cause major disruption increases.
More consequential internationally is the well-telegraphed threat posed by climate change and the way we think of our food supply system must adapt to curb global warming.
We look at how global warming can impact crops and national food security generally and what we can consider in diminishing worst-case scenarios.
Saudi and Swiss Leading by Example
Some areas of the world offer great hope through their example in managing food security despite poor natural resources.
Saudi Arabia and Switzerland offer best practice approaches the international community can learn from in maintaining food security, especially when coping with unforeseen circumstances.
Saudi has learned to develop contingency and variability of supply over many decades in response to harsh climactic conditions and its location close to areas of human conflict.
The country is now embracing technology in a bid to overcome what it lacks from a food growth perspective.
Switzerland shows the kind of approach that can be hugely beneficial in terms of contingency. We also look at Sub-Saharan Africa and that region’s complexities, at once huge in potential, but still held back by problematic governance and access to finance.
Our recommendations draw from all of this experience, with our regional management offering insight into how humanity builds its food supply chains into the future.
Author
Farrelly & Mitchell presents our perspective on food supply disruption through our report, Supply chains and food security: assessing the impact of disruptive forces. In producing this report, we have dug deep into our own regional and international expertise, and also drawn from the wealth of published information on this subject in government and business archives.
The 2020 global coronavirus pandemic serves once again to remind us of the external threats to our agri-food supply chains. It is relatively novel that the present disruptive threat comes from a dangerous virus, rather than phenomena we are more familiar with, such as financial crises or conflicts.
Such pandemics, predicted to arise more often, and the ever-increasing difficulties posed by global warming show that evolving and improving our food supply chains is essential.
Not only do these disruptors demand a capable response but there should also be a proactive approach to improvement as complacent belief in the supply chain status quo leaves us unnecessarily vulnerable to known and unknown threats to our food security.
Over $1.1 trillion worth of agricultural produce is traded worldwide each year, indicating the complexity and scale of the international market.
Our analysts have taken an in-depth look at the disruptors that blindsided us in the past and the present, and perhaps looming larger than all, the challenge to food supply posed by climate change, along with our recommendations in tackling these, building a more robust system.
The Nature of Modern Food Supply
The report first looks at the nature of our globalised food supply chain. The strengths associated with modern food supplies have produced great efficiencies in how our food and beverage produce reaches around the planet, for the best possible commercial outcomes in the most optimal times.
Despite the fantastic outcomes technology has made possible, there are some glaring weaknesses in how the chain operates, weaknesses that are fully exposed at times of crisis wrought by economics, health, natural disaster and political events that blindside our complacency.
The repercussions are financially painful but the threat to human health and life on the planet itself are more lasting.
Recent Disruptions Exposing Limitations
In recent times, we have experienced the full range of disruptions and the report examines some of these. The Great Japanese Earthquake hit Japan financially, but it has also had to overcome significant reputational damage.
The corona virus and the Beirut explosion have also shown up the limits of our systems. If any good emerges from these difficulties it is the human ability to learn and improve its food security resilience.
The Lebanese explosion in particular highlights the dangers of poor policy making, lack of contingency and neglect of food supply strategy to threaten the very existence of a nation.
That country failed to prioritise its food security ahead of political conflict. A failure to diversify supply lines and promote self-sufficiency leaves it extremely vulnerable as this report is launched.
Over 70% of trade in food and agriculture products originates in just 10 countries, with oilseeds, cereals, meat and dairy among the most concentrated food groups. As these comparative advantages are maximised, the potential for black swan events to cause major disruption increases.
More consequential internationally is the well-telegraphed threat posed by climate change and the way we think of our food supply system must adapt to curb global warming.
We look at how global warming can impact crops and national food security generally and what we can consider in diminishing worst-case scenarios.
Saudi and Swiss Leading by Example
Some areas of the world offer great hope through their example in managing food security despite poor natural resources.
Saudi Arabia and Switzerland offer best practice approaches the international community can learn from in maintaining food security, especially when coping with unforeseen circumstances.
Saudi has learned to develop contingency and variability of supply over many decades in response to harsh climactic conditions and its location close to areas of human conflict.
The country is now embracing technology in a bid to overcome what it lacks from a food growth perspective.
Switzerland shows the kind of approach that can be hugely beneficial in terms of contingency. We also look at Sub-Saharan Africa and that region’s complexities, at once huge in potential, but still held back by problematic governance and access to finance.
Our recommendations draw from all of this experience, with our regional management offering insight into how humanity builds its food supply chains into the future.
Author
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The unfurling carbon dioxide (CO2) crisis could start proving very costly for the meat industry, with pig farms facing the possibility of culling animals if supplies do not improve.
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Can shifting agricultural frontiers be harnessed without accelerating climate change?
t would seem unlikely to suggest an upside to climate change, but a recent academic paper suggests otherwise. A multi-institutional academic report, entitled, the environmental.
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Agribusiness
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Malachy Mitchell, food and agribusiness expert, speaks about the future of food
Farrelly & Mitchell MD Malachy Mitchell speaks about the future of food and opportunities arising from the dominant trends.
Mergers & acquisitions
Dedicated agribusiness expertise feeds successful mergers & acquisitions
Technological innovations and emerging trends are creating opportunities for mergers and acquisitions in the agrifood space.
Food safety & security
Carbon labelling’s time has come
Legislators are looking at carbon labelling to help consumers make more informed choices to reduce carbon emissions.
Food & beverage
What are the prospects for plant-based milks post-pandemic?
The rise of plant-based milk looks set to continue unabated. As we head into a post-pandemic world what are its prospects?
Agribusiness
The future of wheat
Wheat will remain a staple crop for humanity but the capacity for new production systems and potential new uses is set to be the subject of intense research worldwide.
Agribusiness
Benefits of completing commercial & technical due diligence
Malachy Mitchell explores how Soft Due Diligence leads to hard result. Presenting our approach and the benefits thereof
Food safety & security
Food security: global trends & opportunities seminar
Malachy Mitchell, Managing Director, Farrelly & Mitchell - provides an overview of the agri-food investment environment
Mergers & acquisitions
Food & agribusiness trade & investment opportunities
Malachy Mitchell reveals how balancing demand generation and ensuring supplies to meet demand is key for success
Mergers & acquisitions
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We are seeing increasing interest by many of our clients in Europe and the Middle East in IPOs, the next stage in their company’s development.
Food safety & security
Supply chains & food security: assessing the impact of disruptive forces
Thanks to coronavirus the spotlight is again on human supply chains & food security. This report looks at what we can learn from past disruption & best practice.
Food & beverage
Can UK farming become greener after the CAP?
Will Brexit provide an opportunity for the UK to develop more radical and greener farm policies? Will they work?
Agtech & foodtech
Can crop mix and AgTech bridge the gap for developing countries?
Research, based on 30 years of geographic data, found that developing countries have capacity to match the agriculture productivity of rich nations.
Agtech & foodtech
AI and Robots: How will they shape the future of farming?
The use of Artificial Intelligence is set to grow rapidly throughout the food supply chain and will offer many opportunities for investors over the coming years.
Food safety & security
Five ways COVID:19 is improving our food supply chains
COVID:19 has brought food security to the fore in the policy agenda of many countries, but agrifood experts have been calling for reforms for a long time.
Sustainability & ESG
Soil sequestration’s role in the battle against climate change
The US government and large food corporations are backing soil sequestration as a tool in the battle against climate change.
Sustainability & ESG
The governments role in fostering ESG policy in agriculture
The potential for ESG policy in shaping the future of agriculture is fully within the grasp of governments.
Food safety & security
The role of smarter food supply chains in curbing food waste
SMART supply chains offer significant potential to reduce waste within the food chain and help limit the impact of the food industry on the environment.
Sustainability & ESG
2021 ESG trends: The cost of failing to integrate sustainability into agribusinesses
Trends show continued momentum behind ethically run food. Failing to integrate sustainability into an investment has consequences.
Food & beverage
Why ESG will continue to influence food industry trends
ESG remains one of the world's strongest food industry trends as sustainability and environmental concerns increasingly inform purchasing decisions.
Agtech & foodtech
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The intersect between decentralised energy and agriculture fits with the world’s ambitions on climate and food security
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Access to finance – transforming the story of African agribusiness
Agriculture finance is a contentious issue in Africa, as it continues to face challenges in unlocking the capital required to meet its potential.
Sustainability & ESG
A dilemma for ESG investors: Balancing local food autonomy and global supply chain advantages
Food production has a wide range of impacts which are difficult to measure, making it unclear whether individual investment in food meet ESG criteria.
Food & beverage
Immediate challenges kick in as ‘Brexit effect’ hits food supply chains
Brexit’s impact on food supply chains is already apparent, and the system will have to adapt a re-engineered resiliency.
Food safety & security
Pandemic increases Middle East food security focus
Agrifood investment steps up in response to COVID disruption. Middle East nations step up activities to shore up food security.
Food & beverage
Saudi Arabia water supply gains as food challenges mount
Saudi Arabia is proactive in protecting its water supply in terms of its relationship with agriculture, with land acquisiton and agtech key.
Agtech & foodtech
Shifting minds to shape the future food system from farm to fork
Scope for improvement in agriculture and food outcomes within the grasp of the Middle East and African nations who work together and pool their collective strengths.
Agribusiness
Can African agribusiness access the credit needed to transform?
African agriculture funding has always proven difficult. Significantly the technology now exists to support access to investment.
Food safety & security
Sustainability a key industry ingredient for food security
The role sustainability plays in a healthy and balanced food supply chain for food industry stakeholders is increasingly recognised.
Food safety & security
How to reduce food waste and loss: a different approach
One-third of the world’s food gets wasted while millions go hungry. We take a global look at the paradox that is food waste and loss and its impacts.
Food safety & security
Clamping down on global food waste to protect food security
Global food waste is under more scrutiny as the pandemic exposes supply line flaws. China, the US and UK are all impacted differently.
Food safety & security
Farrelly & Mitchell analysis: Lebanon explosion exposes lack of food security plan
Lebanon’s social and political problems had put the country in a precarious position, but the Beirut explosion has exposed a long-term neglect of food security.
Is Covid-19 accelerating ESG investment in food and agribusiness?
Is Covid-19 accelerating ESG investment in food and agribusiness?
Will Covid-19 accelerate the adoption of ESG practices as investors become more aware of the impact ESG investment is having?
Mergers & acquisitions
Pause on agribusiness investment as COVID-19 eats away at certainties
Coronavirus is proving the ultimate disruptor for food and agribusiness industries. How does it impact investment?
Food safety & security
Covid-19 presents chance to build a more resilient food system
The global pandemic is testing the merits of the global food supply chain. Can coronavirus make for a more resilient system?
Agribusiness
Newly unveiled EU Farm to Fork Strategy set to transform agriculture in Europe
The EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy is set to transform food and agriculture in Europe, with Farrelly & Mitchell well positioned to navigate clients in this new era.
Food & beverage
Poultry Import Drivers in the GCC
The GCC imports almost $2.8 billion of poultry meat annually to satisfy local demand. However, traditional exporters are under increasing pressure from different forces.
Sustainability & ESG
The Importance of ESG Due Diligence in Agri-Investing
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) due diligence is vital for businesses in terms of attracting investment, maintaining reputation and performance improvement.
Agribusiness
East Africa’s role in GCC food & Agribusiness future prospects
An overview of East Africa Food & Agricultural trade and how East Africa can supply affluent and high growth to GCC consumer goods market
Agtech & foodtech
Farming the “data”
A move towards a totally mechanised poultry industry is becoming attractive to break the chain of inefficiency & increase return from expensive feed.
Food & beverage
Meat and dairy exports to the Middle East
This presentation provides a checklist to companies who want to expand in the Middle East, by way of our own experience.
Agribusiness
Innovation intermediaries help collaborative food SMEs to create a bigger pie
Open innovation is a new-product and process development model, whereby firms use external ideas, as well as internal ideas, to advance their offering. Open innovation is a new-product and process development model, whereby firms use external ideas, as well as internal ideas, to advance their offering.
Mergers & acquisitions
Key Success Factors for Investment in International Agricultural Land
In terms of items to consider when investing in farmland, risk identification is vital to agriculture investment strategy.
Food & beverage
Sugar Rush or Sugar Push
While some segments of the sugar free-from category have been experiencing exponential growth, recent data shows that industry sales have gone down 1% in the past year
Mergers & acquisitions
Key Trends in Global Agri-Food Investment
The appetite for agri-food investment has exploded in the last two decades and is seeing no sign of slowing down. What is driving the surge?
Agribusiness
Soft Due Diligence Should Deliver Hard Results for Food & Agribusiness Deals
Due diligence, properly applied, equals an informed client. It is essential when evaluating an agribusiness acquisition.
Agribusiness
Refocusing international farmland investment
The case for adopting a holistic agribusiness perspective to investments in farmland is growing in strength.
Mergers & acquisitions
Private equity finds fertile ground in Africa
The difficulty of raising capital for the agri-food sector in sub-Saharan Africa has created an opportunity for private equity investors.
Sustainability & ESG
Emerging Markets Drive Feed Industry Growth
Strong population growth and rising incomes suggest a positive growth outlook for the animal feed industry in both emerging and developing regions.
Risk and Reward in the Saudi Poultry Sector
Risk and Reward in the Saudi Poultry Sector
The Middle East poultry market is seen as attractive for investors but competition and disease risks need to be minimised.