As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, it has left a trail of economic disruption and uncertainty. During this period, the food sector as a whole has shown some resilience. Looking at the sector more closely, however, suggests the picture is more nuanced, and, at least in the short-term, winners and losers emerge.
As these trends become more evident, leaders in food and beverage are beginning to digest and consider the medium and longer-term implications of COVID-19 on their businesses. With so much flux and uncertainty in the system, it can be tempting to buckle down and take the crisis day by day – how is it possible to forecast and plan for the future?
In this commentary, Christine Delivanis, Roland Foxcroft, and Arushi Chopra lay out a 12-24 month approach that both maximises short-term business potential while creating – in a structured manner – the right degree of optionality that allows food and beverage businesses to emerge strongly from COVID-19, regardless of the uncertainties surrounding future market dynamics.
The authors would like to give special thanks to Diana Spielman for her contribution to this article.