Pandemic Worsens Food Shortages In Poorest Nations
Before the coronavirus outbreak, 135 million people struggled to deal with acute food shortages. However, Arif Husain, chief economist at the World Food Program, estimates 130 million more people could now go hungry. In total, about 265 million people may starve by year’s end. Over 368 million children are not receiving nutritious meals that they normally would in school. As of now, the pandemic hasn’t caused any global food shortage or mass starvation, but the next few months bring logistical challenges for poor countries. Analysts predict that food safety will also be worsened worldwide, particularly in countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe, whose economies had been hurting before the pandemic.
Food shortages in countries that are going hungry will likely lead to social unrest. In India, half a million people evacuated cities to walk home during the pandemic. Amitabh Behar, the chief executive of Oxfam India, reports that this was India’s “largest mass migration since independence”. Many migrants fear starvation more than they fear the virus, and those waiting in food lines have seen others fight over plates of food.
Global Food Supply Threatened by Coronavirus, Says UN
As the pandemic forces businesses to close around the world, food supply chains are weakening and food security is decreasing, particularly in less developed nations. To keep people fed, countries around the world are responding in various ways.
“Supermarket shelves remain stocked for now, but a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on food supply chains,” the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report late last month. The UN’s Committee on World Food Security (CFS) stated that “The issue, however, is not food scarcity — at lest, not yet. Rather it’s the world’s drastic measures in response to the virus. Heightened instability in global food supply will affect the poorest citizens most.”
Here’s how various countries are responding. China has been working for years to improve food security, investing tens of billions of dollars throughout the past decade on major seed businesses. China’s government subsidies and investments in technology such as agricultural drones and unmanned vehicles have thus far kept the coronavirus from crippling the nation’s food supply. In Australia, air travel has been the primary transportation for food exports, and the nation is a top food supplier for the entire Asia Pacific region. The Australian government has provided emergency aid and increased commercial air travel to keep its food export businesses running. Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong imports most of its food from mainland China, while Singapore imports from Malaysia. So far, these food imports have continued relatively smoothly, and analysts in Hong Kong and Singapore forecast less risk of food shortages in those regions. Less developed nations such as those in The Pacific Islands, however, are at greater risk due to a weaker economic base.
The UN has urged affected countries to implement emergency measures domestically, in addition to working with neighboring governments on protecting international food supply chains. “Governments can protect their citizens by mobilizing food banks, offering cash transfers to vulnerable households, establishing emergency food reserves, and taking steps to protect agricultural workers,” said the FAO.
Pandemic Exposes Five Weak Spots In U.S. Food Supply Chain
Americans are questioning the stability of the country’s food supply, and the viral outbreak reveals meatpacking plants as a primary weak spot. Due to cramped working conditions, meat processing plants currently account for some of the largest coronavirus hotspots. Smithfield Foods was forced to close its largest pork processing plant after over 500 workers contracted the virus and one worker died from COVID-19. Other meat processors such as Tyson, Cargill and JBS have also closed plants due to infected workers.
Foreign workers are another weak spot, particularly in the agricultural sector. President Trump’s temporary suspension of immigration during the lockdown could deter seasonal workers from picking fruits and vegetables in the future.
The supply chain has also been challenged with new consumer buying habits, a third weak spot. As restaurants remain closed, consumers are buying record amounts of food at retail grocery stores. But retailers are struggling to keep up with demand. While wholesalers have surplus food products from business interruption in the hospitality industry, products packaged for wholesale cannot be easily repackaged for retail.
Food insecurity marks a fourth weak spot. Prior to the pandemic, 37 million Americans were considered food insecure. Monica Hake, senior research manager at Feeding America, estimated that a 7.6-point rise in the unemployment rate would increase the number of food-insecure people by 17.1 million. To combat the problem, Democrats are advocating to increase nutrition assistance in the CARES Act, signed into law last month.
Lastly, delivery services are struggling with labor shortages to meet demand for increased food delivery. As the coronavirus lockdown continues, the supply chains that provide food to Americans may undergo lasting reforms to withstand any potential interruptions in the future. .
Food Shortages Caused by COVID-19 May Continue
From farm to fork, the American food supply chain is feeling the pinch of the coronavirus. Three main forces have been at work: consumers stockpiling food, suppliers closing or curtailing businesses, and grocery stores struggling to keep up with demand. As meat processors such as Smithfield, Tyson, Cargill and JBS USA continue to shut down plants or furlough workers, meat industry analysts predict temporary shortages for products such as pork. Thankfully, millions of pounds of meat remain in cold storage, so experts don’t foresee long-term food shortages.
However, in the near future, consumers may have difficultly finding the particular products they are used to buying. For instance, Mississippi-based chicken processor, Sanderson Farms, has considered selling only whole chickens instead of cut-up parts to reduce labor and risk of illness at its facilities. Disruptions may also occur in beef and pork supplies, forcing consumers to get creative with different cuts of meat.
At grocery stores, consumers can also do their part to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union urges shoppers to adhere to social distancing recommendations, wear masks, and touch grocery store items as little as possible to reduce the risk of illness among grocery store workers.