Mitigating risks to food systems during COVID-19: Reducing food loss and waste

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, generating significant challenges that could result in risks to food security and nutrition in many countries. Countries are ordering lockdowns, restricting movement and observing physical distancing to curb the pandemic. Disruptions in supply chains resulting from blockages on transport routes, transport restrictions and quarantine measures are resulting in significant increases in food loss and waste, especially of perishable agricultural produce such as fruits and vegetables, fish, meat and dairy products. In addition, labour shortages, owing to the restriction of movement of key stakeholders in production and transport, are significantly impacting food supply and demand owing to food shortages in some markets, further contributing to food loss and to the unnecessary waste of food supplies in these difficult times. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) encourages countries to adopt holistic approaches to tackle food loss and waste reduction, in an effort to facilitate access to food for all and particularly for vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contact: Rosa Rolle, Senior Officer, Nutrition and Food Systems Division, FAO

Gendered impacts of COVID-19 and equitable policy responses in agriculture, food security and nutrition

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, many countries are adopting measures to control the spread of the virus. While the health aspects of the pandemic have not affected rural areas as much as urban centres, containment measures pose new challenges to rural women with regards to their roles in household food security, as agricultural producers, farm managers, processors, traders, wage workers and entrepreneurs. Past experience shows that rural women are disproportionally affected by health and economic crises in a number of ways, including but not limited to food security and nutrition, time poverty, access to health facilities, services and economic opportunities, and gender-based violence (GBV). Further, COVID-19 is increasing women’s work burden due to school closures and the additional care needs of sick household members.

This brief compiles evidence from current and previous epidemics to explore the socio-economic implications of the impact of the pandemic on food systems and rural economies, and how a gender-sensitive approach can help address key policy issues related to the functioning of food and agricultural systems and the special circumstances of rural women. It also provides concrete policy recommendations to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on rural women and girls.

Food systems and COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean

In this new issue of the bulletin, we analyse health risks to people involved in the food system value chain – from workers to consumers – due to the COVID-19 crisis. Implementing measures to keep workers and consumers from contracting COVID-19 is not enough. It is also imperative to maintain high safety standards in order to keep the spread of foodborne diseases under control and thus prevent them from becoming yet another public health problem.

Small Island Developing States Response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the food security, nutrition and climate resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which share many traits, including a reliance on international trade and imported foods; vulnerability to climate change and malnutrition. This brief highlights some of the identified and potential impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the food systems of SIDS, as well as examples of rapid response measures adopted by SIDS, regional bodies, financing institutions and FAO. It proposes a series of recommendations from policy and fiscal measures to ensure food supply chains are kept alive to actions to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and to boost domestic food production. It suggests a strong role for local governments in coordinating responses and points to opportunities for digitization within the agriculture sector, e-commerce and mobile banking.

Adjusting business models to sustain agri-food enterprises during COVID-19

Across the world the COVID-19 crisis is compromising agri-enterprises’ ability to continue business as usual and, in some cases, is threatening the survival of some firms beyond the crisis, particularly small businesses comprised of farm enterprises, traders, food manufacturers, distributors and retailers across food chains. The brief highlights the critical role that these companies play in maintaining functioning food systems during the crisis. Recommendations target a mix of ministries, public institutions, food industry associations, local business service providers and chambers of commerce.

Contact person: Siobhan Kelly, Agribusiness Officer, Agricultural Development Economics Division / FAO Strategic Programme onFood Systems, FAO