A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper reflects on the changes that occurred in agrifood supply chains in Canada and the United States. The sudden shift in food consumption patterns from food service to food retail required realignment of food supply chains. For the most part, food supply chains have performed remarkably well during the pandemic. Cross-border food supply chains have continued to function effectively. The most significant disruptions emerged from workforce outbreaks of COVID-19 in the meat processing sector and in fruit and vegetable production. The paper discusses supply chain resilience and argues that agrifood supply chains are characterized by several important differences that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating resilience. Economies of scale and scope offer economic efficiency advantages in normal times, while investments in adaptability and flexibility can enhance resilience for abnormal times. Potential long-run changes within supply chains include increased automation and digitalization in food supply chains, while investments in infrastructure for online delivery services have permanently altered the food retailing landscape.

中文翻译：

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食品供应链弹性和 COVID-19 大流行：我们学到了什么？

COVID-19 大流行一年后，本文反映了加拿大和美国农产品供应链中发生的变化。食品消费模式从食品服务向食品零售的突然转变需要重新调整食品供应链。在大多数情况下，食品供应链在大流行期间表现非常出色。跨境食品供应链继续有效运作。最严重的中断来自肉类加工部门以及水果和蔬菜生产中COVID-19的爆发。本文讨论了供应链弹性，并认为农产品供应链具有几个重要差异，在评估弹性时需要考虑这些差异。规模经济和范围经济在正常时期提供经济效益优势，而对适应性和灵活性的投资可以增强异常时期的复原力。供应链中潜在的长期变化包括食品供应链自动化和数字化的提高，而对在线交付服务基础设施的投资已经永久性地改变了食品零售格局。