The Global Food Trade Network as a Complex Adaptive System: A Review of Structure, Evolution, and Resilience

Zebiao Li, Xueying Wu and Chengyi Tu

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Abstract: The global food system has metamorphosed from a loose aggregation of bilateral exchanges into a highly intricate, interdependent Global Food Trade Network (FTN). This comprehensive review synthesizes the extant literature to examine the FTN through the rigorous lens of complex network science, moving beyond traditional economic trade models to quantify the system's topological architecture. We delineate the network's historical transition from a unipolar, efficiency-driven system dominated by Western hegemony to a multipolar, regionalized structure characterized by high clustering and scale-free heterogeneity. Special emphasis is placed on the dual nature of connectivity, which functions simultaneously as a buffer against local production variances and a conduit for global contagion. By conceptualizing the FTN as a multiplex system-distinguishing between the robust topology of wheat, the brittle regionalism of rice, and the polarized "dumbbell" structure of soy-we elucidate the distinct structural vulnerabilities inherent in modern food security. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of recent high-magnitude shocks, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, illustrating the critical trade-off between logistical efficiency and systemic resilience. The review concludes by assessing the future trajectory of the network under anthropogenic climate change, predicting a poleward migration of comparative advantage that necessitates a paradigm shift from isolationist protectionism to cooperative network redundancy.

Date: 2026-01
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