FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE CHALLENGED BY DIVERSE RISKS : EXPLORING THE RESILIENCE THEORY FROM AN ACTOR-BASED LENS

Zhang, Jing and Liu, Lingxuan and Tyfield, David (2024) FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE CHALLENGED BY DIVERSE RISKS : EXPLORING THE RESILIENCE THEORY FROM AN ACTOR-BASED LENS. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

Text (2019jingzhangphd)
2019jingzhangphd.pdf - Published Version
Download (3MB)

Abstract

Climate change, natural disasters and social unrest constantly threaten the role of the food system in ensuring adequate access to nutritious food for the population. Resilience is therefore emphasised in the food system in order to continue to function despite disruptions. However, due to the complex nature of the food system, multiple risks are easily transferred from one activity to another, which also exacerbates existing power imbalances between food system actors. Misaligned interests between actors and the food system make it difficult for governance to achieve intended effects, while efforts at the actor level do not necessarily lead to resilient systemic outcomes. Therefore, this thesis explores potential conflicts and coordination between the actor level and food system resilience through theoretical and empirical research in three interrelated papers and a discussion chapter. Paper 1 presents a literature review, aiming to answer the question of which actors contribute to food system resilience and how their efforts contribute to resilience during disruptions. The paper also summarises the supportive roles that help actors to affect the food system, and the underlying mechanisms that enable these actors to exert their influence. Paper 2 examines the resilience of restaurant organisations in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the implications of organisational resilience for achieving sectoral and food system resilience. Paper 3 examines the effects of governance on the Chinese pork system and the trade-offs between resilience, sustainability and various internal dimensions of resilience, e.g. robustness, recovery and reorientation. Building on three preceding papers, the discussion chapter investigates the challenges of governance for food system resilience and explores strategies for enhancing resilience. Taken together, three papers and one discussion chapter provide insights into the overarching theme of the Ph.D. and offer theoretical and practical contributions to the phronesis (or situated strategic-ethical wisdom) involved in cognising and building food system resilience.