Self-Sufficiency Assessment: Defining the Foodshed Spatial Signature of Supply Chains for Beef in Avignon, France
Résumé
Foodshed approaches allow for the assessment of the theoretical food self-sufficiency
capacity of a specific region based on biophysical conditions. Recent analyses show that the focus
needs to be shifted from foodshed size portrayed as an isotropic circle to a commodity–group-specific
spatial configuration of the foodshed that takes into account the socio-economic and biophysical
conditions essential to the development of local food supply chains. We focused on a specific animal
product (beef) and used an innovative modeling approach based on spatial analysis to detect the
areas of the foodshed dedicated to beef feeding (forage, pasture, and grassland), considering the
foodshed as a complex of complementary areas called an archipelago. We used available statistical
data including a census to address the city-region of Avignon, France covering a 100 km radius.
Our results showed that the factors driving the use of short supply chains for beef feeding areas
are the foodshed archipelago’s number of patches, the connectivity between them, and the rugosity
of the boundaries. In addition, our beef self-sufficiency assessment results differ depending on
geographical context. For instance, being located within the perimeters of a nature park seems to
help orient beef production toward short supply chains. We discuss possible leverage for public
action to reconnect beef production areas to consumption areas (the city) via short supply chains (e.g.,
green, home-grown school food programs) to increase local food security through increased local
food self-sufficiency.
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