Final answer:
Supply chain adjustments to meet meat demands include diversifying sources, enhancing local production, and building resilience. Consumers are adapting to shortages by changing diets and consumption patterns, with prices expected to rise due to limited supplies.
Step-by-step explanation:
To better serve the nation's meat demands and address food supply chain issues, adjustments can be made such as diversifying supply sources, enhancing local production, and investing in food supply resilience. Consumers are adapting to shortages by altering their diets, while pricing is expected to be affected by pandemic-induced shortages, potentially leading to increased costs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, food supply chains faced disruptions due to closed businesses, border closures, and quarantine measures. To alleviate these issues, reinforcing food security and supporting food supply resilience are essential with forward-looking measures that may include the development of local farming, investment in technology for food storage and transport, and restructuring supply chains to be less dependent on single sources.
On a consumer level, families are noticing shortages of various products beyond meat, including certain types of batteries and computer chips. To cope with limited supplies, many are seeking substitutes or changing buying patterns. These consumer adaptations, together with supply chain challenges, will likely influence market prices, potentially leading to an overall increase due to the principles of supply and demand.