Abstract

COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders threatened the operation of food markets, especially in cities, which are the areas where food demand is concentrated and which are dependent on a supply that is grown and processed outside their borders. Maintaining food distribution channels to and within a city is essential for ensuring the well-being of its inhabitants. The objective of this chapter is to review the responses made by three cities in China and Latin America to guarantee food distribution and access during the pandemic, and to reflect on whether these actions built long-term resilience within the cities’ food systems. Shanghai, China, and two capital cities from different Latin American subregions, Mexico City, Mexico, and Santiago, Chile, are considered as case studies. Information was obtained from secondary sources, especially news media published between December 2019 and August 2020. The results show that all parties related to the supply and distribution of food took steps to adapt to the situation in different ways, such as improving sanitation in stores and expanding delivery services. There were some differences in how this was done in the different cities, who was involved from the public sector and civil society in each case, and the contribution these efforts made toward building resilience into the system. It is essential to give priority to food access and to develop coordinated and synergic strategies that strengthen food systems against different stresses.