Policy responses

China: Measures to promptly improve food and agricultural input transportation (rapid temperature checks;  “one stop, three uninterrupted”,  continuous green channels for emergency transportation, and necessary mass production and living materials constant transport corridors, including agricultural production). <br />Measures to guarantee the transport services of agricultural production materials in spring. Measures to ensure the normal circulation of "Vegetable Basket" products and agricultural production materials. There has been use of  big data to identify products accumulated and to promote their purchase and distribution, both through public procurement and e-commerce.  Italy: Food remains an essential commodity and a main reason for movement of people, together with work and health. Therefore, over 3 million stakeholders along the food supply chain remain largely operational, albeit with inevitable constraints.

In Kenya: the government has developed a package of proposed strategies and plans for the Ministry of Trade and Industrialization and Command Center. The proposal calls for the designation of alternative market spaces to facilitate the sale of food commodities. Transporters dealing with agricultural commodities will be identified and registered with information on routes and markets

Links and references

Urgent Notice of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Making Efforts to Guarantee the Transport Services of Agricultural Production Materials in Spring, http://www.moa.gov.cn/govpublic/nybzzj1/202002/t20200227_6337827.htm; 

Emergency Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the General Office of the Ministry of Transport on ensuring the normal circulation of "vegetable basket" products and agricultural production materials, http://www.moa.gov.cn/gk/tzgg_1/tfw/202001/t20200130_6336493.htm

Italy: 
Coldiretti. 18 March 2020f. Coronavirus, Coldiretti Lazio: agriturismi chiusi, ma aperti sui social con la campagna #GLIAGRITURISMINONSIFERMANO Per Diffondere ricette e piatti tipici. [online]. [Cited 18 March 2020]. https://lazio.coldiretti.it/coronavirus-coldiretti-lazio-agriturismi-chiusi-ma-aperti-sui-social-con-la-campagna-gliagriturisminonsifermano-per-diffondere-ricette-e-piatti-tipici/

Pros Ensure the smooth supply of necessary agricultural products, the normal production of feed and the operations of other agricultural processing enterprises, to avoid disruption of the relevant agricultural value chains. Kenya: allows for the harvesting and transportation of perishable fruits and vegetables during the cooler hours between sunrise and sunset.

Cons Crucial to ensure that these measures will not jeopardize the health and sanitary strategies. Kenya: Although the measures permits transportation of goods, markets are closed at night.

Minimum conditions Transport companies comply with the regulations on transport signs, and measures to maintain 'social distance'. Systematic management of road traffic control. Kenya: special permits for food transporters, observance of the sanitary measures and willingness of transporters to operate during curfew hours