New Study on Food Resilience: How Paris is Preparing for Future Crises
A new study by the Paris Urban Planning Workshop (Apur), conducted in October 2024, highlights the challenges of food security in Paris and outlines strategies to strengthen its resilience in the face of crises.
Summary
The study, "Feeding Paris and the Greater Paris Metropolis," was commissioned to assess Paris's ability to sustain its population during a major crisis. Amidst resource scarcity, rising costs, and climate uncertainties, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the capital’s food supply chain. Paris currently consumes 3,090 tons of food daily but holds only 5 to 7 days of food reserves. In response to this vulnerability, the report offers solutions to ensure food sovereignty and security, including future crisis preparedness, infrastructure development, and local production enhancements.
Key Points
• 10,060 tons of food are required daily to feed the 7.1 million residents in Greater Paris.
• 23 million meals are consumed every day across the metropolis.
• The 3,090 tons of food needed each day in Paris rely 95% on road transport, exposing the city to logistical vulnerabilities.
• Paris produces less than 240 tons of fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products annually, a volume far too low to meet local food demands.
Analysis and Insights
Creating "Food Silos": To enhance resilience, the study recommends establishing "food silos" or strategic food reserves in city warehouses to secure a basic supply in prolonged crises. These reserves would include non-perishable foods stored across multiple sites for swift accessibility.
Optimizing Logistics and Alternative Routes: To reduce reliance on road transport, the study suggests expanding the use of river and rail routes, leveraging infrastructure like the Port of Gennevilliers and the National Interest Market (MIN) at Rungis.
Developing Urban Agriculture: Urban farming, already initiated with programs such as Parisculteurs, should be expanded to increase local production, with added support for fruit, vegetable, and mushroom cultivation sites.
Strengthening Collective Catering: Public food services present a strategic lever, with significant potential for bulk purchasing of organic and local produce. The 2022-2027 Sustainable Food Plan aims to ensure that 50% of foods used in collective catering are locally sourced.
Opportunities and Challenges: Implementing these solutions faces several critical challenges:
Land Availability and Storage Costs: High land costs and limited logistics facilities in Paris complicate the expansion of food storage capacity.
Coordination and Investment: These initiatives demand greater public-private cooperation to maximize existing infrastructure, such as Rungis, and require significant investment to adapt logistics networks.
Regulatory and Sanitary Standards: Large-scale food storage must meet strict safety and sanitation standards, adding complexity and cost to logistics operations.
These recommendations could lead Paris to a more resilient and autonomous food system, with potential as a model for other major cities. The success of this approach will depend on overcoming these logistical, regulatory, and financial hurdles to ensure sustainable food security for all Parisians.
Alice Polack
