Reimagining Farming Post-Covid Pandemic
Together with medical services and transportation, farming and food production have been correctly identified as ‘essential services’ by all countries under lockdown, writes Kakoli Ghosh at the Daily News. The Covid-19 pandemic has not yet made a dent in the food supply and so far, there are no reports of shortage of essential food and agricultural goods. All cities and towns are actively coordinating with government agencies, farms, businesses and transport companies to maintain the supply chain and ensure full availability of food for the population.
However, despite the efforts, farm gate prices have crashed, there is a drastic drop in demand and farmers recognize that they are facing a substantial economic loss as fruits, vegetables, fish or meat have to be discarded due to the lockdown. There are warnings about the shortage of labor to harvest seasonal fruits and crops due to the restrictions in movements, fear and uncertainty. Should the lockdown continue for long, one expects price fluctuation, food crisis and a further exacerbation of hunger around the world. A similar spike in food prices and food crisis was experienced in 2008, although that was for different reasons.
This is the overall situation and the basic fact is that no country, rich or poor, has ready capacity to handle an emergency that requires a ‘whole-of-country approach’ all at once. It is becoming clear that the ground reality is very different for different metropolis, cities, towns and villages. Therefore, in a relatively short period since the onset of the pandemic, a range of innovative approaches and targeted, strategies have been developed and being employed to ensure food production and supply across the value chain.
Continued reading at the Daily News.
Subscribe Today For
