Food supply chains face resource and distribution challenges

In Spain, the relationship between agricultural producers and supermarkets is characterized by high levels of domestic integration. According to ASEDAS, between 80% and 90% of fresh products found in Spanish supermarkets originate from national farms. This coordination allows for efficient distribution, sometimes moving products from field to shelf in less than 24 hours.

In the United States, a report from the USDA Economic Research Service highlights the intensive resource demands of the food system. Between 2010 and 2023, the U.S. food system consumed more than a quarter of the nation's total freshwater usage annually. In 2023 alone, the system required approximately 27.7 trillion gallons of freshwater, representing about 29.3% of all formally accounted freshwater withdrawals. This high consumption, driven by crop production, livestock, and industrial processing, underscores the supply chain's vulnerability to extreme weather events.