Responding to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics
The COVID-19 pandemic has developed into the greatest global health, social and financial challenge of the 21st century. It is impacting not only people’s lives, livelihoods and nutrition but also food trade, food supply chains and markets.
The pandemic falls into a period that was already seeing an increase in the number of hungry people in the world, coupled with a global economic slowdown[1]. The recession, which is being forecast as one of the immediate results of the pandemic, will exacerbate these problems and calls for swift multi-disciplinary responses to avoid that the health crisis will trigger a subsequent food crisis.
With the pandemic reaching its peak at different points in time across the world and hitting some places with more severity than others, some countries are already slowly reducing their containment measures. These recovery phases come with their own challenges but could at the same time provide invaluable insights for countries that are still facing the full brunt of the disease.
To support countries in assessing their local situation and to help decision makers design coherent and effective policies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on food production, trade and consumption (access), FAO has prepared a collection of policy briefs, which present policy recommendations grounded on qualitative and quantitative assessment of the pandemic’s impacts on these areas.
All policy briefs can be accessed here: www.fao.org/2019-ncov/resources/policy-briefs/en.
Forming part of this series is the Policy Brief Responding to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics prepared by the Agricultural Development Economic Division and the Nutrition and Food Systems Division of FAO.
This brief highlights that the measures implemented around the world to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have entailed a severe reduction not only in goods and services that rely on transport, but also in the migration of labour both domestically and internationally. To avoid that these measures have a negative impact on food systems and might result in food shortages, this brief summarizes some practices that could be useful for governments and the private sector to maintain critical logistical elements in food value chains, while prioritizing the health of consumers and workers.
With this online consultation we invite you to share examples, best practices and case studies of how the impact of the COVID-19 containment measures on food security and agriculture are being managed in your countries from a logistical point of view.
Please let us know if and how the measures to maintain a functioning food supply chain from “farm to fork” are being applied locally and nationally, and if any unexpected challenges have been encountered along the way.
Your input will be used to further refine FAO’s policy tools and to learn about examples of good practices that could be used to guide the response in other parts of the world.
To help us with the subsequent analysis of the consultation’s outcomes, we kindly ask you to address these guiding questions:
- Can you share examples on how the bottlenecks listed in the policy brief have been addressed and with which result?
- What has been the impact of measures to face the COVID-19 pandemic on the exports of food and cash crops?
- What has been the impact of measures to face the COVID-19 pandemic on the imports of food ingredients, inputs, packaging and other goods related to the food value chain?
- How have logistics from the national to the local level been impacted by the pandemic and response measures?
- What have been the implications on informal cross-border trade?
- What challenges related to the food value chain have emerged during the relaxing of COVID-19 containment measures?
- Are there any additional areas not yet included in the brief that warrant particular attention with regard to logistics affecting the food supply chain?
We thank you very much for your valuable comments and look forward to learning from your experiences.
Marco V. Sánchez
Deputy-Director and Officer-in-Charge (day-to-day matters)|
Agricultural Development Economics of FAO
[1] The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019
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Dear FSN Forum Team and members,
We would like to share with you the views of organic farmers from India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Philippines, Zambia, Indonesia, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, and Puerto Rico on how they are dealing with COVID-19 in their countries.
Shamika Mone, a young organic farmer from India and president of INOFO[1], collected their voices and wrote the article “Farmers have their own struggles and their own solutions” published on the IFOAM blog “Organic Without Boundaries”. The article contains answers to some of the questions of the FSN Forum online consultation on “Responding to the impact of the COViD-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics”.
Although we suggest you to read the whole article, we have included below a summary of the main issues highlighted by the farmers in the different countries.
India
Food producers, especially those with small and marginal lands who live primarily on their daily-earned source of income are feeling the impact of the pandemic. Urban workers sometimes get packets of free food from the government or other institutions, but rural workers are completely deprived of this assistance.
Where harvesting is at its peak time, farm workers tend to migrate from one place to another to earn higher wages. Due to the lockdown, there are now hardly any workers to harvest the crops. Machines are also not easily available. Due to the delay in harvesting, mature grains have started to shatter and grazing (wild and stray) animals are also harming the crop. Crops long ready for harvest are exposed to a number of other risks like the rains, fires, etc.
Farmers often plant 2-3 types of major crops at different times. The farmer arranges the money to pay for the harvesting of subsequent crops upon immediately selling the first crop. But as the markets and retail shops are closed, it has become difficult for farmers to sell their harvest. As it is necessary to arrange money for harvesting, small farmers are being forced to borrow money from local traders, by making deals to sell their crop at a lower price. However, many farmers might not be able to repay their crop loans within the time line, given the inability to harvest.
Sri Lanka
As many farmers’ markets for organic produce are closed down along with other markets, the Sri Lankan organic farmers find the only possible marketing channel available is “door to door” delivery. Many in the organic sector in Sri Lanka are working in two shifts – day and night – to implement a local home delivery system especially for fresh veggies, fruits, and other perishables.
Brazil
As street markets and restaurants are closed, many young organic farmers are working non-stop on an online delivery system to sell their veggies, fruits, and mushrooms. They are stimulating online payment via app and online bank transactions. This new in-between system is difficult to manage but we are forced to innovate for the sake of the family’s income and also to feed the community. At the same time, lots of other farmers, mostly the elderly ones, are not able to participate in this system. They are losing their produce and the corresponding income, hence, bringing hardships to them and their families. There are some projects from institutes and people who buy organic food and supply it to poor communities in large cities.
Philippines
Not only for organic but especially for conventional farmers, it is now difficult to sell their products because of restrictions on movement. Some vegetables are being thrown away or fed to animals because they cannot be transported to the markets in the city. Some local governments are buying the farmers products and distributing them to the local community but there are very few initiatives like this and the majority of farmers are experiencing difficulties. In other scenarios, farmers are giving away their products for free so they don’t go to waste.
Zambia
There is no complete lockdown, yet. Farmers in Zambia are dealing with lower prices for their commodities as the local economy slows down. In addition, they are witnessing an increase in transport costs as less public transport options are available. They foresee a situation where farmers will lose their produce (especially fresh produce) because of challenges imposed by some of the measures adopted. A window of opportunity has arisen where farmers are being encouraged to partner with retail chain stores and supply some products that are normally imported especially some fruits and vegetables. Though this is a long term program, it exposes some weaknesses in the value chain when one depends on imports and would no longer be available as neighbouring countries are under complete lockdown.
Indonesia
There is an increase in demand for organic products. The Indonesia Organic Association (IOA) has collected information from their organic farmer members and found that there has been around 300 % increase in demand from the supermarkets compared to regular demand. Also, some of their members are getting about 7 – 10 new customers a day. Among the many products, there is an increased demand for the ginger and curcumin family, vegetables, and fruits.
South Africa
Most fresh food producers have shifted to online sales and are setting up pop up stalls in existing local shop venues who have offered to help producers shift their goods. Interest in local, traceable food has escalated 100 fold. However, fresh organic produce is scarce with an increase in demand and the inability to move products easily. Special permission to transport essential goods is required which is a lengthy process. Lots of homes are planting food in their gardens, but high density shack dwellers are at high risk especially children and the elderly who are reliant on feeding schemes. Farmers are also affected by drought but they hope to have some decent rains soon to bring much needed relief.
Uganda
The ban on public transport has hit everyone really hard. The situation has affected food trade and production. Although trucks delivering goods are not yet banned, from the source (farms) to the destinations (consumer homes, restaurants, open market places, etc), the food supply chain is broken. It escalated when armed law enforcers stormed the main city in Kampala, and several of its suburbs intimidating citizens: all in the name of enforcing social distancing. Fear gripped the public. Now, with no access to transportation, most businesses have come to a standstill. At the fresh veggies association in Uganda, members are studying the situation, and have plans to stock seeds for their families since they produce about 60% of the food they eat. They also plan to use this time to raise vegetable seedlings and sell them.
Ghana
There is a partial Lockdown in Greater Accra and Ashanti region, the two economic hubs of the country. These are the places where population numbers are the biggest and demand for organic food is the highest. The lockdown only allows the transport of goods between these regions. But reports from farmers in Accra suggest there is now higher demand for organic produce. All orders are placed online or through calls and money is received by app.
Puerto Rico
People are denouncing the confusing position of the government on street food vendors. People are allowed to buy food at the supermarkets, yet informal produce vendors are not allowed to sell food. Most markets were shut down. Farmers have been making food basket deliveries. The main challenge for farmers, is how to earn enough to feed themselves and their families in the coming weeks.
On behalf of IFOAM Organics International
Cristina Grandi
IFOAM Chief Food Security Campaigner
[1] INOFO is the International Network of Organic Farmers Organizations that runs within IFOAM Organics International
While most discussions attempt to explain the negative consequences, few seem to have captured the strengths and opportunities that have emanated during this episode and period of COVID 19. The advent of COVID-19 has also demonstrated the positive side of African agriculture and food systems, with respect to its resilience, adaptive capacity and innovativeness.
With the exception of countries or regions experiencing a civil war, environmental shocks, climatic stress, and strain, countries in the continent have largely demonstrated the capacity to sustain a flow of food during these difficult times associated with stringent lockdown and restriction of movements.
The following factors could explain the resilience of the African agriculture and food systems during this period constrained by anti-COVID 19 protective measures: (1) The proliferation of home gardens and family farms; (2) the pervasiveness of informal production, marketing, and trading systems; (3) the omniscience of informal financing and input supply systems; and the (4) reliance of social capital, cooperatives, and self-help initiatives.
These are important pointers for policy-makers and those in governance to threat seriously, rather than with disdain and looked upon with scorn. These parallel informal structures, which go beyond classic prescriptions in policy circles, have combined to explain the gallant resilience of most communities in Africa.
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In Colombia, HarvestPlus and partners are delivering seeds by mail. They have reached 1550 smallholder farming households through these traditional mail operators. In addition, the partners provided virtual training for the farmers.
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In Uganda, agro-dealers sell seeds at the pop-up agro-shops at churches and schools where farmers can purchase these seeds at a safe social distance, and with all the necessary precautions in place.
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In Zimbabwe, HarvestPlus is recording farmers' feedback on the performance and taste of new biofortified varieties via phone surveys and providing necessary information about the benefits of these nutritious crops.
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In Nigeria, HarvestPlus organized successful virtual events to engage with the key public and private sector stakeholders to come up with COVID responses/action plans and to implement and monitor these plans. These actions included innovative ways to increase the availability of quality seeds, facilitate farmers' access to seeds, assist enterprises in laying the grounds for recovery, and provide palliatives to highly vulnerable populations, in collaboration with government and partners.
I am interested to the initiative for the Sustainable Infrastructure Community of Learners. Because I have the project which are studied and more significant continental effort after the spreading of COVID-19, which it’s might be applied in the part of the strategic planning of SDG 2030 platforms as the infrastructure assets and development sites of cultivation soil or farming land may be rehabilitated and retrofitted for eco-efficiency for communities inclusive infrastructure to developed land. For example, the new normal packaging designed from natural resources during the Covid-19 outbreak as for Grab and Go concept.
The latest CSA Consumer Price Index indicate that the cost of living reached the highest rate in a six-year period (since 2014) increasing to 22.6 per cent following the confirmation of Ethiopia’s first case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. The inflation of food prices reached 26.9 %
COVID-19 has significantly affected the prices of food items in Ethiopia due to distractions along the food value chain e.g., processing, transportation between rural and urban areas which leads to higher prices in urban areas which can affect food access for poorer households.
A team of agricultural experts of the Jimma University, Ethiopia, in its study entitled “Covid-19 probable impacts on Ethiopian agriculture and potential mitigation and adaptation measures: no food – no health – no life” published in April 2020 has indicated that the current pandemic of Covid-19 has a potential to increase the food insecurity of the country due to resource mobilization towards prevention of the disease, movement restriction subsequently affecting food production, transport, processing and consumption patterns.
According to IFPRI Blog: research post, April 19, 2020 urban consumption of fruits and vegetables is declining that trade is affected by travel bans and reduced competition, and that farmers face lower prices and reduced access to inputs. With the same blog, the dairy value chain particularly raw milk vendors and small dairy shop in Addis Ababa have been hit hard due to the pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture call up-on its development partners and develop Agriculture sector response plan to COVID-19 with the major content of COVID 19 pandemic risk diagnostics in the agriculture sector, major interventions to mitigate the risk of Covid19 pandemic in Agriculture sector with estimated budget.
So as to ensuring minimal disruption in flow of agricultural products and inputs with appropriate actions in transport/logistics and procurement the government of Ethiopia give priority and take action on the following:
Remove unnecessary and/or illegal check points/taxes/other payments through the coordinated effort of federal, regional, and local authorities and institute expedited COVID-19 related checks to further reduce delays on the road.
Keep markets open with clear and enforced sanitization procedures and appropriately scheduled closed days to implement those procedures.
Minimize the operational burden on retailers in the form of regulations which, though appropriate in normal times, discourage operators under the current difficult circumstances – up-to-date licenses, tax arrears, …
Alongside private markets, set up food distribution centres (such as the kebele/lower administration level) outlets particularly in urban areas to provide food for households with considerable decline in incomes
Encouraging and supporting local civil societies and neighborhood organizations to engage in the mobilization and distribution of food assistance as appropriate. ( for instance; Addis Ababa City Administration has launched a network of what it calls ‘food banks’ at sub-kebele level to mobilize and distribute food and other resources to the needy)
Dr. Siripen Iamurai
In the period of Covid-19 Pandemic & lockdown in Thailand, the growth of food delivery services increased more than 80% in the capital and metropolitan areas. Including the increase in the number of businesses provider of food delivery services has increased too. Including to the employment and the number of employees in this businesses. The food packaging has been modified and adjusted to the variety of food dinning styles by retaining the food qualities and the value nutritional. Plastic has returned to be the important in term of disease protections for individuals and food too.
The increase in plastic waste contaminated in the environment and ecological may become the major problem after the epidemic crisis has passed.
Under the aegis of the UN Secretary-General’s Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity report, FAO has been an active collaborator in the UNs’ socio-economic support to countries during the COVID-19 crisis. An important aspect of this support has been socio-economic assessments carried out to provide a solid evidence base upon which governments can design informed responses to the crisis. The assessment from Kenya mirrors the impact of COVID-19 on a number of countries in the sub-region and beyond. In Kenya, where agricultural contributes 53% of (GDP) directly and indirectly through other sectors, employing 70% of the rural population, the country was already struggling with the fall-out from a seasonal drought in 2019, before the onset of COVID-19 which also coincided with start of the maize planting season, and the ongoing locust crisis. The culmination of these calamities means that food stocks in Kenya are destined to decline, and prices to increase, effecting the poorest and the most vulnerable segments of the population. Logistics restrictions and curfews in Kenya have continued into June including two-week quarantines for the crews of cargo vessels at Mombasa Port and stricter checks at the country’s borders. The Tanzania report has assessed in more depth the impact of reduced traffic in cargo vessels on storage. As domestic production has been sustained due to minimal restrictions, the existing storage capacity is struggling to serve the backlog of destined exports commodities stocks due to delayed take-offs from ports and airports, however mostly impacting non-perishables such as sisal, tea, cotton and coffee. Results also shown that some import purposed warehouses are also empty. These insights indicate that if the fall-out from the COVID-19 crisis is to continue impacting domestic and international logistics, deeper analysis on import/export food storage capacities will be required to match the effects and inform possible repurposing of storage across sectors to fit the evolving situation.
All reports continue to emphasize the severe impacts on small informal actors, particular in the food services segment of the food industry, such as petty traders, micro food processors, and food canteens. Kenya quickly put into place a series of measures to support these types of actors from reducing the turnover tax rate to 1% from 3% and suspending the listing of non-payment of loans by SMEs. Kenya’s advanced cashless economy has also contributed to an acceleration on food e-commerce, with Safaricom implemented a fee-waiver on M-Pesa to reduce the physical exchange of currency, and Standard Bank providing a 90-day Coronavirus Business Interruption Payment Scheme to small business owners.
The assessment from Turkey also highlights the importance of keeping business, particularly those in the food industry, informed about the implications of decrees on changes in logistics, with 36% for exporting companies, and 22% of all enterprises, reporting the need for improvements in advice on foreign trade, logistic restrictions and requirements, with already engaging in foreign trade.
The Tanzanian assessments outlines a useful scenario analysis (best, moderate and worst case scenarios), on the implications of logistics on many of the country’s important import and export commodities. Under the best-case scenario, large losses have still been incurred by exporters of horticultural crops (flowers, cloves and fruits), tea, coffee, fish/crustaceans, sisal and live animals, cumulatively accounting for 70% of export revenue. Failure to export cotton lint, tobacco, and cashew nuts, has also jeopardized the incomes of countless small farming families as well as jobs in the agro-processing industry. The moderate case indicates that the export of cereals, maize and paddy, milled maize and wheat flour and wheat malt will continue to suffer since the situation on transport logistics is likely to get worse. And the worst case, implicating continued logistical export restrictions with reduced foreign exchange will translate into fewer imports of basic commodities like edible vegetable oil, sugar and wheat; as well as fertilizer for the next farming season. Shortage of edible oil, industrial sugar and wheat is likely to affect operations of beer and other beverages factories as well as hotels and restaurants. Worse still, the sudden fall in incomes by producers and businesses in the agricultural value chain will most likely affect their ability to service bank loans or take new ones; as well failure to implement plans for the next farming season. The worst case scenario will also possibly mean that agro-industry establishments are likely to resort to mass retrenchments due to cash flow problems.
Ultimately these assessments highlight that, while compared to the severe impact of COVID-19 on other non-essential sectors, the food and agriculture sector is nonetheless the most sensitive to logistics and restrictions in the movement of people and goods, and therefore requires more analytical assessments and scenario building to inform public sector programming to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on food security and those actors reliant on the food industry for their livelihoods. More assessment from 44 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America can be accessed at www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/covid-19-pandemic-response/socio-economic-impact-of-covid-19.html
Dr. justin langtar
bonjour à tous,
le COVID -19 est certe une pandemie du siècle qui a frappé tout le continent où certaines familles de loin ou de près sont endeuillées. Cette pandemie menace à la fois la vie et les moyens de subsistance des populations rurales et urbaines. avec les restrictions des mouvements, les fermetures des frontières inter-pays et aux seins des pays, les mesures de confinement ont limité l'accès à une alimentation et une nourriture adéquate. le secteur agricole est une chaine bien structurée (producteurs, trasnformateurs, transporteurs, commercant etc) où un maillon de cette strucuture est amputée, il ya repercussion sur les autres.
Dans un pays où l'élevage est à 80% pastoral et basé sur les parcours à la recherche des paturages, Les troupeaux d'animaux n'ont pas accès à l'eau, aux pâturages et aux traitement à travers des campgnes de vaccination à cause des restrictions des mouvements. Nous risquerons encore une épizootie animale à cause de manque de vaccination et de traitement des animaux
De ce précède,
les pays doivent mettre en place des mesures d'accompagnement en vue d'aider les populations vulnérables. Les pays doivent appuyer les producteurs (paysans, agro pasteurs) locaux car la pandemie a entrainé une penurie des mains d'oeuvres et lune manque d'accès à l'eau et au pâturage. de nos jour beaucoup des pays dependent en grande partie des importations des produits alimentaires de base et si des dispisitions ne sont prise dès maintenant à travers une logistique efficace , nous risquons d'entrer dans crise alimentaire très sévère.
Good morning , COVID -19 is certainly a pandemic of the century that has hit the entire continent where some families from far and near are bereaved. This pandemic threatens both the lives and the livelihoods of rural and urban populations. with movement restrictions, inter-country border closures and country closures, containment measures with limited access to adequate food and food. the agricultural sector is a well-structured chain (producers, processors, transporters, trader, etc.) where one link in this structure is cut, there is an impact on the others. In a country where livestock farming is 80% pastoral and based on rangelands in search of pasture, Herds of animals have no access to water, pasture and treatment to cross the fields of vaccination due to movement restrictions. We will still risk an animal epizootic because of the lack of vaccination and treatment of animals From this precedes, countries must put in place accompanying measures for vulnerable populations. Countries must support local producers (farmers, agro-pastoralists) because the pandemic has resulted in a shortage of the main works and a lack of access to water and pasture. nowadays many countries are largely dependent on imports of basic foodstuffs and if distributions are not priced right now through efficient logistics, we risk entering the very severe food crisis.
Dr Langtar Nadji Justin : Unité Partenariat et Recherche de la Cellule Technique du Centre Régional de Santé Animale pour l'Afrique Central (CRSA-AC)
The repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics must be analyzed from a more comprehensive and comprehensive perspective, given that they form part of a complex interrelation of structural and conjunctural determinants whose main purpose is to guarantee at all times the right of all people to adequate and sufficient food to enable them to lead healthy lives.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have responded to the urgency, mobilizing resources towards the attention of the health emergency, the care of sick people, the prevention of mortality and the containment of the spread of the virus; as well as adjusting the capacity of health services to meet the needs of the population and coping with the crisis of health professionals; The installed capacity of this sector was exceeded, showing the already existing difficulties and showing that it needs to be strengthened in terms of infrastructure, administration and labor guarantees for human resources; This issue cannot be relegated when addressing food value chains, because although it is true that the virus does not discriminate against the population, we are all vulnerable, there are territories where the poorest population is not only affected by the lack of food resulting from the poverty but because they are part of the infected population, as is the case of the indigenous population living on the Colombian-Brazilian border in the department of Amazonas (Colombia).
Many of the decisions made to contain the spread of the virus to protect the life and health of the population; they affect the economy not only from the factors related to supply, but also from demand. with the pandemic There was a loss of employment, mainly and immediately after the start of the pandemic in informal workers, with the drastic decrease in their income and purchasing power generating ruptures related to economic access to food that exacerbated the suffering of hunger due to the deficiency in the supply of energy and nutrients of the people who make up a home in these most vulnerable populations and that will surely increase the malnutrition figures.
The containment measures also generated interruption of food supply chains that affect physical access, and the increase in prices; border closures both local, regional and national in the countries, as well as bordering areas between them, has also prevented the entry and exit of food, affecting its availability; among other effects on food and nutritional security, showing shortages and price increases.
The greatest challenges for strengthening food value chains are found both in strengthening the rural sector and in developing consumer skills to return to healthy food purchasing and consumption practices for the individual, in harmony with the social and human development.It is the moment to potentiate the productive capacities of the rural sector to guarantee the food supply, family, peasant and community agriculture should be stimulated, through the diversified production of food, above the logic of the market, to protect the rural population and the implementation of sustainable processes with the environment, protection of forests, water, seas and ecosystems, change in fishing practices that allow food sovereignty for local self-sufficiency.
In this sense, it is necessary to work in the protection of rural populations, fishermen, peasant populations and ethnic peoples so that they can autonomously manage their food production process, with forms of agroecological production that are carried out in harmony with the environment, ecosystems, the responsible use of water, in solidarity relationships, understand food as a social process mediated by practices, own knowledge and differential relations with the territory.
It is necessary to include in the agricultural sector, public policies that promote local production models, where family, peasant and community agriculture is promoted to ensure that they are the suppliers of food for each country, giving priority to local markets with short marketing circuits. bringing the supply closer to the consumer, favoring food prices and interrupting the chains of intermediaries generating fair trade practices.
Reform in rural education is required, as an opportunity for the protection of rural peasant populations and other rural inhabitants who have traditionally been excluded and who during this pandemic have suffered from restrictions on access to education due to lack of of public services and connectivity. This implies the participative construction of pertinent contents that allow recovering the traditional practices of food production and preparation, the food culture of its inhabitants and the guarantee of educational infrastructures, public services, access to connectivity.
Likewise, the culture of self-care and self-determination in health emerge as more effective prevention measures, as well as the return to models in collective health, which allow for articulated work between health entities and communities in search of joint solutions, being essential food and nutrition education to rescue healthy eating practices, consumption of food from family and local production, favoring the consumption of naturally produced and prepared foods and less industrially processed foods.
The great challenges generated not only by the pandemic itself but also by containment measures, imply for decision makers to establish new ways of articulating for the implementation of public policies on food and nutrition security, considering the complexity of its determinants, which allow coordinate actions to guarantee adequate food for the entire population. With this panorama, the actions to address the consequences of COVID-19 on food security should consider not only conjunctural interventions to mitigate the short-term hunger generated by the containment measures, but structural proposals that contribute to recovering what Amartya Sen calls the assets and ownership of the most affected: their income, their employment.
Likewise, price control must be exercised, and social protection networks must be strengthened for the poorest and most vulnerable population. Another major challenge is the review and adjustment of the priorities and goals of the sustainable development goals to the year 2030, in which all those involved must participate, especially those related to the reduction of inequalities and inequities that have been deepened by the covid -19, represented in deficiencies in public services, deficiencies in education, decent employment and and actions aimed at recognizing the human right to food as a priority.
Dr. AMM Zowadul Karim Khan
1. Can you share examples on how the bottlenecks listed in the policy brief have been addressed and with which result?
Bangladesh was in countrywide lockdown since the third week of March, being extended almost seven times until the first of June. During this period the harvesting of Boro rice was to be done. Boro rice contributes to 54% of rice production in Bangladesh and is harvested mostly in May. As the public transports were not functioning, large number of seasonal labors required for harvesting could not move. The farmers were in panic. Several remedies were taken by the government and civil society, those have been:
1) Organizing special transport for the labor movement; 2) Engage local youth as voluntary labor for harvesting; and 3) Promotion of use of mini combine harvesters.
Government is providing subsidy/grant to farmers for purchase of mini combine harvester. This grant is included in the Covid-19 agriculture recovery package (of around 90 billion Taka).
Government has also increased purchase of rice. This year government doubled its Boro rice procurement target compared with the previous year.
2. What has been the impact of measures to face the COVID-19 pandemic on the exports of food and cash crops?
Bangladesh is an exporter of tropical fruits, like mango, lychee etc., and vegetables. Since 2015 FAO representation in Bangladesh is supporting mango export. Apparently, the export this year has been hampered. However, a clear picture is not yet available.
6. What challenges related to the food value chain have emerged during the relaxing of COVID-19 containment measures?
The main challenge is now to recover the pandemic losses. Now one rice sowing season (Aus) is in place, and another one (Aman) is coming, or already in place. The previously mentioned support package is also targeting this season. Government asked the farmers not to leave any arable land uncultivated, as Food Security is the most important issue for Bangladesh in the post pandemic period. Bangladesh is losing in two large export sectors, 1) RMG and 2) Remittance. Hence there is an additional challenge to the Agriculture sector.
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