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population centers with high densities that are substantially separated geographically, economically, or politically from the FEW resources needed to support
them.
• The socio-political-economic drivers of the FEW nexus in cities function within
the socio-ecological system (see Sect. 9.1.1), at multiple interacting levels of
social organization (international and national, state and regional, local, facility,
household, and individual), driven by three types of institutions—private sector
institutions, the state and the public sector institutions, and social impact organizations or civil society (also known as nongovernmental organizations).
• Decisions by food wholesalers, grocery retailers, policy-makers, and others have
helped to create relatively large urban areas characteristic of many US cities
where access to affordable and nutritious fresh foods is limited—often characterized by relatively low household incomes—called food deserts.
• Public-sector water agencies have, in some cases, successfully ensured water and
wastewater service availability even to those households that lack sufficient
income to pay for the services; this is sometimes framed as a discussion of water
as a human right.
• In urban areas, housing security—defined broadly to include location, quality of
amenities, affordability, and security of tenure—is crucial for FEW security at
the household level.
• From a biophysical perspective, one of the strongest potential drivers of the FEW
nexus in urban areas is global climate change. Impacts of climate change already
being seen are more frequent and severe storms and flooding and droughts,
impacting energy, drinking water, and food supply.
• The FEW nexus in cities is strongly shaped by the agency of individuals and
households in pursuing the interests they have chosen based on their particular
mix of ideology, knowledge, and resources.
• Multi-criteria decision analysis, dynamic system accommodation, and efficiency
and sustainability planning are necessary for sustainable supply chain management of the FEW nexus in a city.
• While centralized supply chains result in intensification and specialization of
production and may result in more efficient operations, the reliance of centralized systems on uniform industrially produced external inputs and nonrenewable
resources, and the related social and environmental costs of resource extraction
and industrial production and distribution, raise questions about the sustainability of centralized systems. In contrast to centralized systems, decentralized systems have the potential to provide a diverse, resilient, and sustainable FEW
supply chain.
• While separately managed supply chains have advantages including less intensive
planning and coordination, lower initial capital expenditures, public familiarity,
associated economic and political structures, and well-established existing support infrastructure, integrated supply chain management has advantages including
less resource extraction and associated environmental impacts and costs, resource
security in the case of scarce or diminishing resources, local job creation, and
relatively low barriers to entry which may encourage broad adoption.
C. Harris et al.
population centers with high densities that are substantially separated geographically, economically, or politically from the FEW resources needed to support
them.
• The socio-political-economic drivers of the FEW nexus in cities function within
the socio-ecological system (see Sect. 9.1.1), at multiple interacting levels of
social organization (international and national, state and regional, local, facility,
household, and individual), driven by three types of institutions—private sector
institutions, the state and the public sector institutions, and social impact organizations or civil society (also known as nongovernmental organizations).
• Decisions by food wholesalers, grocery retailers, policy-makers, and others have
helped to create relatively large urban areas characteristic of many US cities
where access to affordable and nutritious fresh foods is limited—often characterized by relatively low household incomes—called food deserts.
• Public-sector water agencies have, in some cases, successfully ensured water and
wastewater service availability even to those households that lack sufficient
income to pay for the services; this is sometimes framed as a discussion of water
as a human right.
• In urban areas, housing security—defined broadly to include location, quality of
amenities, affordability, and security of tenure—is crucial for FEW security at
the household level.
• From a biophysical perspective, one of the strongest potential drivers of the FEW
nexus in urban areas is global climate change. Impacts of climate change already
being seen are more frequent and severe storms and flooding and droughts,
impacting energy, drinking water, and food supply.
• The FEW nexus in cities is strongly shaped by the agency of individuals and
households in pursuing the interests they have chosen based on their particular
mix of ideology, knowledge, and resources.
• Multi-criteria decision analysis, dynamic system accommodation, and efficiency
and sustainability planning are necessary for sustainable supply chain management of the FEW nexus in a city.
• While centralized supply chains result in intensification and specialization of
production and may result in more efficient operations, the reliance of centralized systems on uniform industrially produced external inputs and nonrenewable
resources, and the related social and environmental costs of resource extraction
and industrial production and distribution, raise questions about the sustainability of centralized systems. In contrast to centralized systems, decentralized systems have the potential to provide a diverse, resilient, and sustainable FEW
supply chain.
• While separately managed supply chains have advantages including less intensive
planning and coordination, lower initial capital expenditures, public familiarity,
associated economic and political structures, and well-established existing support infrastructure, integrated supply chain management has advantages including
less resource extraction and associated environmental impacts and costs, resource
security in the case of scarce or diminishing resources, local job creation, and
relatively low barriers to entry which may encourage broad adoption.
C. Harris et al.