Publications
Food supply chain under strain. What to do?
01/09/2020
COVID-19: Channels of transmission to food and agriculture
21/09/2020
FAO is analysing and providing updates on the emerging COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on agricultural markets—effects that are still largely unknown. Most current assessments generally foresee a contraction in both supply of and demand for agricultural products, and point to possible disruptions in trade and logistics.
COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for food businesses : interim guidance
06/01/2021
The world is facing an unprecedented threat from the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (referred to as the COVID-19 virus). The purpose of these guidelines is to highlight additional measures so that the integrity of the food chain is maintained, and that adequate and safe food supplies are...
Mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition of schoolchildren
15/03/2021
This joint note from WFP, FAO and UNICEF intends to provide government decision makers, school administrators/staff and partners with preliminary guidance on how to support, transform or adapt school feeding (in the short term) to help safeguard schoolchildren’s food security and nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific recommendations are provided...
FAO's component of the Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Plan
16/03/2021
The document presents FAO's component of the COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Appeal, focusing on maintaining operations in food crisis contexts, anticipating the secondary impacts of the pandemic and related containment efforts on the world's most vulnerable people and sustaining critical food supply chains to avert future food crises.
Comparing crises: Great Lockdown versus Great Recession
17/03/2021
A comparison of the Great Lockdown of 2020 underway with the Great Recession of 2009, reveals some regularities, yet many differences. Notably, the shock associated with the Great Recession arose out of economy-wide stress, particularly high-income countries, while in direct contrast, the Great Lockdown was borne outside of the global...
Food security under the COVID-19 pandemic
18/03/2021
The document highlights the measures to confront the impact of the pandemic. The report points out that the main challenge in the short term is to guarantee the access to food, especially for those who have lost their source of income. The FAO report also recommends CELAC to reactivate its...
Guidelines to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production and animal health
19/03/2021
The purpose of these guidelines is to describe the impact of COVID-19 on livestock production and animal disease prevention and control, and to provide practical recommendations for actors along value chains to reduce this impact and ensure continuity of the livestock supply chain and animal health. The target beneficiaries of...
Interim guidance: sustaining FAO’s commitment to Environmental and Social Standards during the COVID-19 pandemic
20/03/2021
FAO's Environmental and Social Standards (2015) ensure that FAO projects and programmes conform to sustainability criteria and mitigate potential adverse impacts to achieve expected outcomes. A COVID-19 outbreak in countries already affected by existing shocks, including political instability, conflict and natural disasters, could further exacerbate food insecurity. FAO has therefore...
Data resources and analysis to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts
22/03/2021
In order to provide useful information to countries on the impact of the COVID-19 on Statistics and the response being provided by FAO and the International statistical community, the Office of the Chief Statistician (OCS) has prepared this brochure that contains essential information and documentation on the latest available data...
Running farmer field schools in times of COVID-19: A resource handbook
23/03/2021
This handbook provides guidance and suggestions to farmer field schools (FFS) facilitators, Master Trainers, project coordinators and rural advisors to run FFS activities and other agricultural trainings in times of COVID-19. It includes basic protective measures, important considerations, proposed FFS activities, links to WHO resources and videos and more. It...
COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems
24/03/2021
The guidance highlights temporary measures that can be introduced to contain widespread food safety risks and reduce serious disruption to national food safety programmes, aiming to ensure the effectiveness of a reduced food safety inspection programme during COVID-19 pandemic in mitigation the food safety risks.
Exposure of humans or animals to SARS-CoV-2 from wild, livestock, companion and aquatic animals
25/03/2021
Understanding the risk of exposure of humans or animals to SARS-CoV-2 from animals and their products is essential for containing virus spread, prioritizing research, protecting food systems, and informing national One Health investigations and mitigation measures. This Qualitative Exposure Assessment provides a comprehensive review of available scientific evidence and assessment...
Keeping food and agricultural systems alive
26/03/2021
COVID-19 will have a negative impact on food systems and will worsen the sub-Saharan negative trajectory towards the achievement of SDGs 1 and 2. COVID-19 will cause economic slowdowns or even recessions in many African countries, and this will exacerbate existing food insecurity and malnutrition. COVID-19 and its immediate control...
Cities and local governments at the forefront in building inclusive and resilient food systems
27/03/2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting urban food systems worldwide, affecting the food security and nutrition of urban populations. With up to 70% of the global food supply destined for urban consumption, the disruption of urban food systems has particularly affected the food distribution and the food retail sectors. The management...
FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme - Boosting smallholder resilience for recovery
30/03/2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is having devastating short- and long-term impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people in rural, peri-urban and urban settings. Apart from the pandemic’s toll on human health and everyday life, containment measures, particulary the restricted movement of people and goods, are resulting in a dramatic increase...
The COVID-19 challenge: Zoonotic diseases and wildlife
02/04/2021
In this document, the Members of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) propose four guiding principles to assist practitioners and decision-makers in making practical and scientifically informed responses. These principles aim to reduce the risk of future pandemics originating from wild animals, at the same time as strengthening...
Smart irrigation – Smart wash: Solutions in response to the pandemic crisis in Africa
03/04/2021
Expanding irrigation could impact the availability of water for sanitation and hygiene which has a central role in slowing down the spread of the disease. It is, thus, clearer that irrigation development should also comply with the requirement of extended need of water for sanitation and hygiene. Developing multiple water...
Series: The agrifood system and the challenges of COVID-19
05/04/2021
Differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and its connection to the pillars of the agrifood system The objective of the text is to reflect on the current scenario faced by the most vulnerable women, and the measures that must be implemented to reduce their impacts. In addition, an analysis...
Digital finance and inclusion in the time of COVID-19
06/04/2021
The aim of this study is to illustrate the opportunities and risks associated with the surge in uptake and use of digital financial service, providing ideas on how to leverage the paradigm changes affecting the overall approach and perspective towards digital financial services – on the part of various stakeholders...