Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Policy responses

Maintain and support the continuous functioning of local food markets, value chains and systems, particularly in food crisis countries, contexts with high acute food insecurity, countries highly dependent on food imports, etc., such as through support to the processing, transportation, marketing and exchange of safe and nutritious agricultural and food products.

Strengthen agricultural cooperatives to maintain producer negotiation power and assess potential for decentralised market opportunities.

Create incentives for producers to continue production at current scale if possible.

Support urban farming initiatives to ensure an independent food supply source in cities. Additionally, an expansion of urban and peri-urban agriculture can create employment and income for vulnerable people.

Advocate to keep trade corridors open for agricultural products, despite movement restrictions.

Pros Support to the processing, transportation, marketing and exchange of safe and nutritious agricultural and food products. Strengthen agricultural cooperatives to maintain producer negotiation power Support urban farming initiatives to ensure an independent food supply source in cities.
Cons Additional funding required Availability of suppliers for inputs Difficulty in agreeing structural interventions in time when main priority is around public health issues
Minimum conditions Functional agricultural extensions services Functional supply chain Access to intervention areas
Governance Relevant national line ministries Country Humanitarian Response Programme Updated UNCT Food Security / Nutrition Clusters

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