Future-proofing the regional foodshed

Evaluating the supply of off-season produce to feed a city

Abstract

During the winter, in countries like Canada, there is growing reliance on fresh fruits and vegetables imported from more southerly bioregions. The transcontinental supply chains that carry these foods are vulnerable to stochastic shocks, one extreme weather event or tariff dispute away from slowing or stopping. This vulnerability raises pressing questions of national food and nutrition security. However, can countries where winter weather slows or even stops production supply their own fruits and vegetables during this season? A common assumption is that a re-localized food supply in such regions would mean a winter diet of rutabaga and potato. Thus, we investigated what regionally grown produce is available for sale during the off-season at Canada’s largest wholesale food market, the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto. We conducted an interviewer-administered questionnaire with Ontario farmers and produce dealers to assess the social and environmental conditions that produce the current winter supply and the potential for scaling up local reliance on winter produce. From our findings, we argue that a winter supply can and does exist. We find that barriers that currently limit the off-season crop supply, and opportunities to expand it, are both ecological and economic. Factors influencing supply include crop varieties, storage technologies, and market characteristics. Our findings are pertinent to regions with an interest in future-proofing their food and nutrition security at a time of geopolitical realignment.