We are dependent on global supply chains for our food, goods, commodities, and other materials essential for the smooth running of our economy and the wellbeing of society. But what happens when supply chains break? What if the critical infrastructure supporting them fails?
The Resilience Shift is pleased to announce the publication of two new reports presenting the findings from research into the dependency of global supply chains on critical infrastructure resilience.
These reports present insights obtained in 7 workshops held around the globe, seeking to benchmark how the resilience of critical infrastructure is understood and dealt with in practice. Results present a global view of current practice, highlighting common themes and regional and organisational differences.
The primary report summarises key findings from all workshops, while the companion report contains individual insights from all 7 workshops.
The workshops brought together 70 representatives from organisations connected with food supply chains in cities as different as San Francisco, New York, Manchester, Madrid, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and Brisbane. These cities provide a diverse context of coastal vs inland, varying natural and manmade hazards, and differing political contexts. Participants included stakeholders from across the food supply chain, including representatives from government and policy makers, consultants, academia, logistics providers and infrastructure operators, among others.
These workshops are a stepping stone in understanding how complex global supply chains rely on the resilience of transport, energy, water and communications to retain functionality under diverse shocks and stresses.
We recognise that an improved visibility and common understanding of the wider system across supply chains is required in order to take steps towards a joined-up approach to improve resilience in practice. The Resilience Shift will continue to explore how to contribute towards a common understanding of resilience across different sectors.
