  The resilience of the food supply chain is a matter of critical importance,
both for national security and broader societal well bring. COVID19 has
presented a test to the current system, as well as means by which to explore
whether the UK's food supply chain will be resilient to future disruptions. In
the face of a growing need to ensure that food supply is more environmentally
sustainable and socially just, COVOD19 also represents an opportunity to
consider the ability of the system to innovative, and its capacity for change.
The purpose of this case based study is to explore the response and resilience
of the UK fruit and vegetable food supply chain to COVID19, and to assess this
empirical evidence in the context of a resilience framework based on the
adaptive cycle. To achieve this we reviewed secondary data associated with
changes to retail demand, conducted interviews with 23 organisations associated
with supply to this market, and conducted four video workshops with 80
organisations representing half of the UK fresh produce community. The results
highlight that, despite significant disruption, the retail dominated fresh food
supply chain has demonstrated a high degree of resilience. In the context of
the adaptive cycle, the system has shown signs of being stuck in a rigidity
trap, as yet unable to exploit more radical innovations that may also assist in
addressing other drivers for change. This has highlighted the significant role
that innovation and R&D communities will need to play in enabling the supply
chain to imagine and implement alternative future states post COVID.
