Urban-Rural linkages and food logistics

Description of the innovative solution
As states become more industrialized, the separation gap between urban and rural food linkages will continue to widen. The process of transporting food from rural, agricultural landscapes to the plate of a fancy restaurant in a city, is a long, winding path. Shortening the supply chain from rural to urban settings would lead to less food waste, more mouths fed and less energy required for transportation. In addition to making improvements in supply chain logistics, alternative food networks that bring producers and consumers closer to one another are a part of the solution as well. Concepts...
As states become more industrialized, the separation gap between urban and rural food linkages will continue to widen. The process of transporting food from rural, agricultural landscapes to the plate of a fancy restaurant in a city, is a long, winding path. Shortening the supply chain from rural to urban settings would lead to less food waste, more mouths fed and less energy required for transportation. In addition to making improvements in supply chain logistics, alternative food networks that bring producers and consumers closer to one another are a part of the solution as well. Concepts like community supported agriculture (CSA), farmer's markets, and roadside stands focus on shortening the distance in between farmer and consumer. CSAs combat supply chain logistical hardship by encouraging the consumers to pick up their produce from the farm itself or from a local farmers market or may even get the CSA box delivered. By erasing the middle man in between farmer and consumer, there is greater emphasis on quality of food, growth practices and an overall more conscientiousness outlook on where food comes from.
Examples and additional resources
Real-world examples
See this solution in action in different contexts and settings around the world
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
Alternative food networks lead to better urban-rural connections
AfriAgrimark
Twiga
ANJONUS
HiTECH Trading House
Copia Global
Additional resources
Learn more about this solution through studies, articles, business cases, and other information
Paper exploring the urban-rural interface of food systems
Consumer perception and preference for suboptimal food under the emerging practice of expiration date based pricing in supermarkets
Contacts
Connect to others working on and with this solution around the world
Pathways to uptake
Engage with our “backcasting tool” to imagine and design “pathways to uptake” for this solution in your setting.
This process involves defining a future vision of this solution being used in your context, and then working “backwards” to identify necessary steps to achieve this vision by 2030. Going through this exercise as an individual or with a team can help to clarify the WHAT/WHEN/HOW of moving a solution (or package of solutions) towards having major impact. We hope these pathways will inspire outside-of-the-box thinking, creative approaches, and actionable concrete steps to move ideas into action.
Pathway builder
Explore pathways for this solution
Be the first one and add a pathway for this solution!