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Does localising food value chains contribute to food system resilience?

Interest in exploring the benefits of localising food value chains is on the rise. This is fuelled by global crises — notably the COVID-19 pandemic. Many civil society organisations, international research institutes, and various national governments have put the topic of ‘local’ versus ‘global’ high on their agendas. This involves addressing questions regarding values and qualities to be realised through food system transformations, such as food security, resilience, fairness, and food sovereignty. However, the ‘local’ versus ‘global’ discussion is quite controversial. Therefore, we aim to demystify the subject, by unpacking the real goals and effects from localisation policies.