COVID-19 and food systems
Short- and long-term impacts
The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented short-term stresses on food supply chains
around the world. However, rapid responses by both private-sector actors and policy
makers mostly managed to prevent severe disruptions. Yet, even before the outbreak
of COVID-19, food systems were faced with a formidable “triple challenge” of simultaneously
providing food security and nutrition to a growing global population, ensuring the
livelihoods of millions of people working along the food chain from farm to fork,
and ensuring the environmental sustainability of the sector. This paper discusses
the stresses COVID-19 created in food supply chains and the remarkable resilience
these supply chains have demonstrated in high-income countries, as well as specific
impacts in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors and the importance of transparency
in avoiding a COVID-19 induced food crisis. The paper concludes by discussing the
long-term challenges for food systems, arguing that the unanticipated shock of COVID-19
strengthens the case for shifting from ‘business as usual’ policies to a more forward
looking policy package for food systems.
Published on July 27, 2021
In series:OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papersview more titles