Harvesting French beans in Taveta, Kenya. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt across all food sectors, but the agri-food sector seems to be more resilient to the crisis than others.
Photo: ©FAO/Fredrik Lerneryd

Agri-food sector more resilient than other sectors

Agricultural commodity markets are more resilient to the pandemic than many other sectors, according to FAO. Nevertheless, the significant decline in economic growth due to the pandemic has translated into an issue of access to food.

Food markets will face many more months of uncertainty due to COVID-19, but the agri-food sector is likely to show more resilience to the pandemic crisis than other sectors, according to the Food Outlook report released in June 2020 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Food Outlook report provides the first forecasts for production and market trends in 2020-2021 for the world's most traded food commodities - cereals, oil-crops, meat, dairy, fish and sugar.

"The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt - at varying degrees - across all food sectors assessed by FAO. Whilst COVID-19 has posed a serious threat to food security, overall, our analysis shows that from the global perspective, agricultural commodity markets are proving to be more resilient to the pandemic than many other sectors. That said, owing to the size of the challenge and the enormous uncertainties associated with it, the international community must remain vigilant and ready to react if and when necessary," said Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, Director of the FAO Trade and Markets Division. 

Comparing the COVID-19 health crisis with the 2007-2009 crises


The report compares the current COVID-19 health crisis with the 2007-2009 crises, identifying differences and communalities across countries and food commodities, and examining the current and likely impacts of the pandemic, with a focus on international food markets. It also provides an informative benchmark on how to return market functioning to normality, even if contagion rates remain unchecked.

The authors conclude that compared to the 2007-08 global food price crisis, the world is faring better now as global food production prospects are positive, stocks are high, international food prices are low and trade is broader-based with more importing and exporting countries. Furthermore, policymakers are now more experienced in dealing with global crises, as well as better informed and prepared.

However, although there is enough food for everyone globally, the significant decline in economic growth due to the pandemic has translated into an issue of access to food, limiting people's ability to get enough or nutritiously enough food, especially in countries already hit by hunger and other crises even before COVID-19.

(FAO/ile)

Read more at FAO website 

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