Fragile Global Chain: How Frozen Berries Are Becoming a Matter of National Security

Nataliya Bilchenko — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the more interdependent and volatile world, frozen food products, especially frozen berries are becoming very important aspects of food security across the globe. Historically considered as auxiliary commodities, the products have currently become strategic in the international trade and national food reserves, especially to the import-dependent countries. This paper discusses the meaning of frozen food in the wider perspective of agri-food systems with regard to the international trade systems as the foundation of food security and food affordability across countries. Studied in the context of current geopolitical conflicts, as well as disruption of trade, and stress on the environment via war in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and with the shortage of containers following instability in the Red Sea the research distinguishes the weak points within the global food chains. One of the focuses is on the position of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to secure regional food system resilience and supply continuity. It achieves this by basing its premises on literature provided by FAO, WTO, WFP and peer-reviewed journals thus providing the structural risks of the food supply chains as well as policy solutions should there be a need to strengthen the food supply chains. The article contends that frozen food as grains and vegetable oils are to be understood now as one of the fundamental pillars of the food system resilience, and such needs to be responded to with geopolitical, economic, and institutional action coordination.

DME Journal of Management

Fragile Global Chain: How Frozen Berries Are Becoming a Matter of National Security