Service - Leadership in Government - Issue 75
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
S<br />
agribus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
Build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back better<br />
on food and<br />
agriculture<br />
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the<br />
United Nations has elaborated a comprehensive<br />
response and recovery programme to overcome<br />
the impacts of Covid-19 through upscaled<br />
and robust <strong>in</strong>ternational collaboration.<br />
By Qu Dongyu, Director-General of Food and<br />
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations<br />
As the impacts of Covid-19 take their toll on human<br />
health and wellbe<strong>in</strong>g around the world, the imperative of<br />
produc<strong>in</strong>g and ensur<strong>in</strong>g access to healthy food for every<br />
one of us must not be overlooked. The food systems that<br />
must give daily sustenance to all humans on this planet<br />
are under threat by the pandemic. If we want to avoid<br />
what could be the worst food crisis <strong>in</strong> modern history, we<br />
need robust and strategic <strong>in</strong>ternational cooperation at an<br />
extraord<strong>in</strong>ary scale.<br />
Even before the pandemic, global food systems and<br />
food security were stra<strong>in</strong>ed by many factors, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pests, poverty, conflicts and the impacts of climate<br />
change. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to a recent FAO report, The State of<br />
Food Security and Nutrition <strong>in</strong> the World, <strong>in</strong> 2019 close to<br />
690-million – or nearly one <strong>in</strong> 10 people <strong>in</strong> the world –<br />
were hungry.<br />
The Covid-19 pandemic could push an additional<br />
130-million people worldwide <strong>in</strong>to chronic hunger<br />
by the end of 2020. Furthermore, <strong>in</strong> 2019 threebillion<br />
people did not have access to healthy diets<br />
and suffered from other forms of malnutrition.<br />
Due to the pandemic and related conta<strong>in</strong>ment<br />
measures, we have already experienced disruptions<br />
<strong>in</strong> global food supply cha<strong>in</strong>s, labour shortages and<br />
lost harvests. Now, we are see<strong>in</strong>g a delayed plant<strong>in</strong>g<br />
season. Around 4.5-billion people depend on food<br />
systems for their jobs and livelihoods, work<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
produce, collect, store, process, transport and<br />
distribute food to consumers, as well as to feed<br />
themselves and their families. The pandemic has put<br />
35% of food system employment at risk, impact<strong>in</strong>g<br />
women at an even higher rate.<br />
The prevention of future animal-to-human disease outbreaks requires<br />
coord<strong>in</strong>ation between stakeholders from all relevant sectors.<br />
___ __<br />
The Covid-19 pandemic<br />
could push an<br />
additional 130-million<br />
people worldwide<br />
<strong>in</strong>to chronic hunger<br />
by the end of 2020.<br />
18 | <strong>Service</strong> magaz<strong>in</strong>e