The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says the world’s food systems are under threat and is therefore calling for USD 1.3 billion in initial investments to provide an agile and coordinated global response to ensure nutritious food for all both during and after the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic, according to FAO, is jeopardizing human health and disrupting the food systems that are the foundations of health.
“Unless we take immediate action, we risk a global food emergency that could have long-term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults”.
“Together, we can help the world’s most vulnerable, prevent further crises, increase resilience to shocks, and accelerate the rebuilding and sustainable transformation of our food systems”, the FAO said.
Hunger is one of the major threats to human life and has continued to increase even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAO stated that in 2019, almost 690 million people – or nearly one in ten people in the world – went hungry.
According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020, the pandemic may push an additional 130 million people in the world into chronic hunger by the end of 2020.
Simultaneously, according to the World Bank’s estimates, the pandemic’s economic impact could push about 100 million people into extreme poverty.
In Africa, recent estimates from the WHO suggest that 73 million people are acutely food insecure. Furthermore, since last year, African regions, particularly the Sahel and southern Africa, have been severely affected by climate change.
The unprecedented locust outbreak in the Horn of Africa put additional pressure on regional food systems. The region is particularly at risk, given the prevalence of conflict and political instability. A regional slump in food production and a fall in global demand may prolong the negative trade effects of COVID-19, with poverty and food insecurity expected to continue to rise in 2021.
It can be recalled that in May this year, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said;
“COVID-19 is unfolding in Africa against a backdrop of worrying levels of hunger and undernourishment, which could worsen as the virus threatens livelihoods and household economies.
“Hunger and malnutrition heighten vulnerability to diseases, the consequences of which could be far-reaching if not properly addressed”.
Measures to control virus outbreaks are disrupting global food supply chains. Border restrictions and lockdowns are slowing harvests, destroying livelihoods, and hindering food transport. Food loss and waste are increasing, as farmers must resort to dumping perishables, and many people in urban centers are struggling to access fresh food.
Soaring unemployment rates, income losses, and rising food costs are jeopardizing food access in developed and developing countries alike.
According to the FAO, each percentage point drop in global GDP is expected to result in an additional 700 000 stunted children. Smallholder farmers and their families, food workers in all sectors, and those living in commodity-and tourism-dependent economies are particularly vulnerable.
Equally urgent is the compounding threat of the pandemic on existing crises – such as conflict, natural disasters, climate change, pests, and plagues – that are already stressing our food systems and triggering food insecurity around the globe.
COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses in several dimensions of human life. To mitigate the socio-economic impact of the current pandemic calls for a collaborative effort from all.
In line with this, the FAO has developed a comprehensive and holistic COVID-19 Response and Recovery Program. The program is designed to proactively and sustainably address the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.
In line with the UN approach to “build back better,” and in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic while strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods.
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme will enable donors to leverage the Organization’s convening power, real-time data, early warning systems, and technical expertise to direct support where and when it is needed most.
Through extensive analyses, ongoing consultations with decentralized offices, and bilateral discussions with resource partners, FAO identified seven key areas of action needed to ensure rapid and continued support to the most vulnerable while anticipating the secondary repercussions of the virus.
FAO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme span seven key priority areas: global humanitarian response plan; data for decision making; economic inclusion and social protection to reduce poverty; trade and food safety standards; boosting smallholder resilience for recovery; preventing the next zoonotic pandemic; and food systems transformation.
“Our ability to act, in our shared best interest and for greater collective impact, has never been more important” – FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu
