As early as 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic crisis exposed the fragility of supply chains, with effects both on businesses, who found themselves in a situation of scarce production inputs, and on citizens, who saw their supermarket shelves empty.
With the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, the fragility of the agri-food system has been further accentuated: production costs have risen by a total of around 33% for an additional outlay of EUR 8 billion on an annual basis - price increases have been particularly marked in some product categories, for example fertilisers (+170%), energy (+80%) and animal feed (+50%). The effects of higher prices have repercussions both on businesses in the agri-food chain - with pressure on margins of economic sustainability - and on households - whose shopping trolley is becoming increasingly expensive.
The crisis in Ukraine has emphasised the discussion on food self-sufficiency with the aim of making the country less vulnerable in the event of a geopolitical crisis. To date, the implications of the war in Ukraine are still unclear, but it will certainly be crucial to rethink new management models for the agri-food sector in the future with the aim of creating an ecosystem that is competitive and innovative but also resilient and robust enough to face future challenges.
The Phygital Meeting "The Implications of the Ukrainian Crisis on the National Food Supply Chain: Macroeconomic Vision, Supply Chain Actions and the Role of Research" will aim to stimulate a debate with the most qualified stakeholders to identify possible geopolitical implications on the agro-food supply chain, define potential strategies to strengthen the positioning of national stakeholders and prospect the role of research and innovation to promote greater resilience of the sector.