Year of publication 2020

This webinar was organized on 22 July 2020, under the auspices of the FAO Forest Technical Network (FTN), during a Webinar Series on COVID-19 and the Forest Sector. FDC are likely to be hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those in the informal sector. Measures undertaken by governments to control the spread (e.g. movement restrictions, school closures, lockdowns) will have severe consequences on economic activity in most sectors, markets and communities. While most households will face severe economic shocks, these are likely to be magnified in FDC because of their particular multidimensional vulnerabilities. The pandemic has sparked an unprecedented expansion of social protection, also in countries that previously had limited or no social protection coverage. The speed with which governments around the world have implemented social protection responses to the pandemic emphasizes the importance of social protection in providing immediate relief to shocks while also supporting impact to promote and transform lives and livelihoods. Although FDC are exposed to various risks and vulnerabilities, and are significantly in need of social protection, coverage of social protection interventions is limited. Social protection responses can benefit FDC by protecting incomes, preventing the use of negative coping strategies, and assisting longer-term recovery. The pandemic raises an opportunity to expand social protection for FDC and increase resilience.