Preparing and Recovering for COVID-19’s Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition
26 May 2020, Washington, DC/ Ottawa, ON - The COVID-19 pandemic will have significant medium- and long-term impacts on global food and nutrition security, livelihoods, climate resilience, gender equality, trade, and social stability. In order to share Canadian perspectives on the response to the anticipated impact of the pandemic on food security and nutrition, FAO North America and CARE Canada co-hosted a webinar moderated by Gregory Spira, Head of Food Systems and Resilience Programs, CARE Canada.
“COVID-19 is far more than a health crisis, and affects women and men differently,” said Jessie Thomson, Vice President, International Programs at CARE Canada who launched the discussion. She highlighted the latest CARE Policy Brief, COVID19, Food & Nutrition Security, and Gender Equality, which warns that women are more susceptible to the food security and nutrition impacts of COVID-19 as women and girls already make up 60 percent of hungry people and 76 percent of displaced people worldwide.
“Over the years, Canada has played an extremely important role within FAO. We have strongly valued its leadership and support always and especially today when the world navigates in such turbulent waters,” said Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America in his welcoming remarks.
“The combination of COVID-19 and lockdowns could drive up to 420 million people into absolute poverty,” warned Sharan. “Given the intrinsic link between poverty, food security and nutrition, governments must initiate immediate action as even short-term disruptions in provisioning adequate and nutritious food could have long-lasting impacts on survival, health and development.”
The Hon. Mike Lake, Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin and Conservative Shadow Minister for International Development joined the webinar and called upon Parliamentarians to find common ground to address the challenges of poverty and food insecurity, in Canada and abroad. He also emphasized that sharing success stories of international development is key to helping governments create initiatives like the G8 Muskoka Initiative for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Rene Vanderpoel, Chief of Party, CARE Honduras stated that “what started as a health crisis is becoming a food and existential crisis,” especially for coffee farmers in Honduras who are now cash strapped and cannot afford inputs to maintain their land to ensure a good harvest next year. He added that women are also more likely to have less access to inputs. CARE Honduras, supported by Global Affairs Canada, is currently working to provide women coffee farmers in Honduras with inputs.
FAO’s Chief Economist and Assistant Director-General Máximo Torero Cullen outlined the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy and food systems. He explained that the economic recovery would be slower than anticipated. Food processing, distribution, and service are sectors most impacted by the health pandemic. He highlighted the importance of creating new markets so that small businesses have liquidity, can safeguard food safety, and minimize food loss and waste.
Claude Beausejour, Director General of the Food Systems and Environment Bureau at Global Affairs Canada, highlighted how the agency, in close coordination with the Rome-based Agencies, such as FAO, is prioritizing “small island developing states and vulnerable countries, where food access and loss of livelihoods are the main challenges. These problems are likely to increase rates of malnutrition.”
“Many policies are still gender blind or neutral,” said Dr. Silvia Sarapura, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph. She added that feminist and gender research planning is needed to enhance agri-food systems, as women are key contributors to food systems, food security and biodiversity management. She also noted that the pandemic is worsening existing gender inequalities.
“The health crisis provoked a drastic drop in solvent demand which has led to significant production surpluses and a drop in producers’ income,” said Hugo Beauregard-Langelier, Agricultural Economist and Secretary-General of UPA Développement International. He added that future strategies should “ensure greater food autonomy via the introduction of the concept of reciprocity in commercial exchanges and trade, adjust risk management mechanisms, and support family and local entrepreneurship.”
“Half of First Nations and Inuit populations are food insecure,” said Gisele Yasmeen, Executive Director of Food Secure Canada as she underscored that factors such as inequality and poverty can make people more susceptible to the impacts of COVID-19. She outlined that building resilient local food systems will require supporting small and agro-ecological producers, providing decent work, and supporting Indigenous food sovereignty and self-determination.
Virginie Levasseur, Director of Programs of Africa, SOCODEVI, and Co-Chair of the Food Security Policy Group (FSPG) in Canada, shared the FSPG’s call for food assistance and safety nets, prevention of transmission of the virus, resilience in food value chains, gender equality, women empowerment, and youth engagement in building back from COVID-19.
“Without food, there is no health and without women, there is no food,” said Jessie Thomson of CARE Canada as she summarized key takeaway messages from the speakers. The session highlighted that COVID-19 will affect vulnerable populations the most, amplifying existing inequalities and challenges caused by climate change, among other issues. She emphasized the need to address the root drivers of food insecurity and build back inclusive food systems that are socially, economically and environmentally sound.
Read the complete Chairs' Summary.