Food supply chain
A network of activities and organizations that moves food from production through processing and distribution to consumers.
Agricultural production: The cultivation of crops and raising of animals for food and other products. Food supply begins with crops and livestock produced on farms.
Logistics: The planning and management of moving, storing, and supplying goods and resources. Food supply chains rely on logistics to coordinate transport, inventory, and delivery.
Global food system: The worldwide network of food production, trade, distribution, consumption, and related institutions. Cross-border supply chains connect local food markets to global production and trade.
Food systems: The interconnected activities, people, and institutions involved in producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food. The supply chain is the movement-focused part of this wider system.
Food processing: The transformation of raw agricultural products into food products for storage, sale, or consumption. Processing turns farm outputs into ingredients and products suited to distribution.
Inventory management: The planning and control of stocked goods to meet demand while limiting cost and waste. Food businesses balance availability against spoilage and storage costs.
Food security: A condition in which people have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Supply-chain reliability affects whether food is available and accessible.
Agricultural value chain: The linked activities through which agricultural products gain economic value from production to sale. Value-chain analysis emphasizes who creates and captures value, beyond physical movement.
Food packaging: The containment and protection of food in materials designed for storage, transport, sale, or use. Packaging protects products and carries information through distribution and retail.
Food traceability: The ability to track a food product and its history through stages of production, processing, and distribution. Traceability links products to their sources and movements across the chain.