3 ms·
There is some margin in food inventory, but food lead times are long (several months) and stocks (grain silos, grocery store inventory) are small relative to th
by mech1234 7y ago
There is some margin in food inventory, but food lead times are long (several months) and stocks (grain silos, grocery store inventory) are small relative to the rate at which they are consumed. Increasing production capacity also takes time in addition to the existing lead time.
These reasons dictate that it's more useful to think of food distribution as a flow than as a stock. In this sense thinking of calories produced divided by calories consumed straightens out thinking in the long term.
- jka 7y agoThanks for the considered and thoughtful response. I don't have much to add at the moment, but do still think that reducing waste (reducing the numerator, in the calorific viewpoint you suggest) is a reasonable goal - both in the supply chain and in consumer behaviour. The lead times concern (especially during a food supply shock) is valid - the only analogy I can think of just now is backup stored energy; i.e. considering canned food as 'batteries'. Enough to survive off-grid for a while in an outage (and ideally rechargeable over longer time periods).