COVID-19 and International Food Assistance: Policy proposals to keep food flowing

Cardwell, Ryan; Ghazalian, Pascal L.

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105059

Cited by 66 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Agri-food system stability is vital for maintaining the health of the people of Bangladesh. While COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the agri-food system within Bangladesh, the country will also have to be cautious about the disrupting impacts of international food assistance ( Cardwell and Ghazalian, 2020 ). Therefore, interventions to enhance the adaptive capacity of food producers and distributers and other agri-food system stakeholders to address COVID-19-related impacts are crucial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19's implications on agri-food systems and human health in Bangladesh

Talukder¹,

vanLoon²,

Hipel³

et al. 2021

Current Research in Environmental Sustainability

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The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh has put agri-food systems and resultant human health under serious pressure and this has thus become a priority concern for the country and its development partners. To understand, describe and analyse the impacts of COVID-19 on agri-food systems, human health issues and related SDGs, this study used systematic rapid literature review, analysis of blogs and news and engagement with key informants. The analysis reveals impacts that can be addressed through a set of recommendations for a coordinated effort to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food systems and related health issues in Bangladesh.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19's implications on agri-food systems and human health in Bangladesh

Talukder¹,

vanLoon²,

Hipel³

et al. 2021

Current Research in Environmental Sustainability

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show abstract

“…In the long term, COVID-19 impacts on global commerce and developing country production are more uncertain and could influence poverty reduction ( Cardwell and Ghazalian, 2020 ). The shift of the U.S. toward a more mercantile and protectionist approach to trade ( Nelson, 2019 ), as well as a shift to bilateral and regional trade agreements ( Noland, 2018 ), may lead to a weakening influence of the WTO and more agricultural protectionism.…”

Section: Sustainable Development Goals and Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and the agri-food system in the United States and Canada

Weersink

Massow

Bannon

et al. 2021

Agricultural Systems

148

137

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Agri-food supply chains in North America have become remarkably efficient, supplying an unprecedented variety of items at the lowest possible cost. However, the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the near-total temporary loss of the foodservice distribution channel, exposed a vulnerability that many found surprising. Instead of continued shortages, however, the agri-food sector has since moved back to near normal conditions with prices and production levels similar to those typically observed in years prior to the pandemic. Ironically, the specialization in most food supply chains designed for “just-in-time” delivery to specific customers with no reserve capacity, which led to the initial disruptions, may have also been responsible for its rapid rebound. A common theme in assessing the impacts across the six commodities examined is the growing importance of understanding the whole supply chain. Over the longer term, a continuation of the pandemic could push the supply chain toward greater consolidation of firms and diversification of products given the increasing option value of maintaining flexibility. Other structural changes will be felt through input markets, most notably labour, as the trend toward greater automation will continue to accelerate as a response to meeting concerns about a consistent supply of healthy and productive workers. The economic fall out from the pandemic may lead to greater concentration in the sector as some firms are not able to survive the downturn and changes in consumer food buying behaviour, including movement toward online shopping and enhanced demand for attributes associated with resiliency, such as local. On the other hand, online shopping may provide opportunities for small producers and processors to shorten supply chains and reach customers directly. In the long term, COVID-19 impacts on global commerce and developing country production are more uncertain and could influence poverty reduction. While COVID-19's impacts on North American agriculture should have minimal effect on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through food prices, the ongoing global trends in trade and agribusiness accelerated by the pandemic are relevant for achievement of the SDGs.

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“…The paradox is that this could happen even when no scarcity is expected. Other studies have made an estimation of 130 million people who would face acute hunger due to border thickening, logistics shutdown, donor countries’ recessions reducing food aid to poor countries, higher operation costs and collapse of household economies (Cardwell and Ghazalian, 2020 ).…”

Section: Network Vulnerabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis and vulnerability of the international wheat trade network

2020

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Wheat is one of the three basic cereals providing the necessary calorific intake for most of the world’s population. For this reason, its trade is critical to many countries in order to fulfil their internal demand and strategic stocks. In this paper, we use complex network analysis tools to study the international wheat trade network and its evolving characteristics for the period 2009–2013. To understand the vulnerability of each country’s dependence on the imports of this crop we have performed different analyses, simulating shocks of varying intensities for the main wheat producers, and observed the population affected by the production drop. As a result, we conclude that globally the network is slightly more resilient than four years previously, although at the same time some developing countries have slipped into a vulnerable situation. We have also analysed the effects of a global shock affecting all major producers, assessing its impact on every country. Some comments on the COVID-19 outbreak and the political decisions taken by governments following the pandemic declaration are included, observing that given their capital-intensive characteristics, no negative effects should currently be expected in the wheat market. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-020-01117-9.

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COVID-19 and International Food Assistance: Policy proposals to keep food flowing

Cited by 66 publications

References 8 publications

COVID-19's implications on agri-food systems and human health in Bangladesh

COVID-19's implications on agri-food systems and human health in Bangladesh

COVID-19 and the agri-food system in the United States and Canada

Analysis and vulnerability of the international wheat trade network

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