Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Productivity, Security and Supply Chain

Abstract

Abstract:

COVID-19 pandemic has been catastrophic for almost everything including the global economy. Among many sectors, the food and the agriculture sector was the worst hit following the immediate lockdown and market shutdowns. Though some stability was prevalent from supply side, however, the severe restrictions put in place to curb the spread of pandemic have endangered the supply of agricultural and food articles contemporaneously across borders and from field to fork. The major issues discussed in this paper included, but were not limited to, direct and indirect effects on food and agriculture sector, effect on the fisheries, farm labor accessibility, food security problems and food supply chain issues.While the income decline due to price fall and supplies chain disruptions due to pandemic have escalated the food shortages in several of developing and developed countries. Nevertheless the global demand for food items has remained more or less unchanged owing to their inelastic demand.  The lessons learned from the unforeseen outcomes of the pandemic have left many a lot more prepared and ready for any new waves of the virus.