• About
  • Contact
  • Donate/Support
  • Subscribe
Mansa Banko Online
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Agric
  • Business
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Science/Tech
  • More
    • Education
    • Human Rights
    • Sports
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Migration
    • Opinion
    • Tourism
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Agric
  • Business
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Science/Tech
  • More
    • Education
    • Human Rights
    • Sports
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Migration
    • Opinion
    • Tourism
No Result
View All Result
Mansa Banko Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Agriculture

Don’t let COVID19 become a hunger game

M.E Njie by M.E Njie
March 31, 2020
in Agriculture
0
Don’t let COVID19 become a hunger game
0
SHARES
20
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting enormous strains on the public health systems around the world, and millions of people in the world’s most advanced economies are in some form of quarantine.

We know the human toll will be high, and that massive efforts to turn the tide carry a heavy economic cost.

To reduce the risk of an even greater toll – shortage of food for millions, even in affluent countries – the world must take immediate actions to minimize disruptions to food supply chains.

A globally coordinated and coherent response is needed to prevent this public health crisis from triggering a food crisis in which people cannot find or afford food.

For now, COVID-19 has not entailed any strain on food security, despite anecdotal reports of crowded supermarket sieges.

While there’s no need for panic – there is enough supply of food in the world to feed everyone – we must face the challenge: an enormous risk that food may not be made available where it is needed.

The COVID-19 outbreak, with all the accompanying closures and lockdowns, has created logistical bottlenecks that ricochet across the long value chains of the modern global economy.

Restrictions of movement, as well as basic aversion behavior by workers, may impede farmers from farming and food processors (who handle most agricultural products) from processing. Shortage of fertilizers, veterinary medicines and other input could also affect agricultural production.

Closures of restaurants and less frequent grocery shopping diminish demand for fresh produce and fisheries products, affecting producers and suppliers, especially smallholder farmers, with long-term consequences for the world’s increasingly urbanized population, be they in Manhattan or Manila.

Uncertainty about food availability can induce policymakers to implement trade restrictive measures in order to safeguard national food security.

Given the experience of the 2007-2008 global food price crisis, we know that such measures can only exacerbate the situation.

Export restrictions put in place by exporting countries to increase food availability domestically could lead to serious disruptions in the world food market, resulting in price spikes and increased price volatility.

In 2007-2008, these immediate measures proved extremely damaging, especially for low income food deficit countries and to the efforts of humanitarian organizations to procure supplies for the needy and vulnerable.

We should all learn from our recent past and not make the same mistakes twice.

Policy makers must take care to avoid accidentally tightening food-supply conditions.

While every country faces its own challenges, collaboration – between governments and the full gamut of sectors and stakeholders – is paramount. We are experiencing a global problem that requires a global response.

We must ensure that food markets are functioning properly and that information on prices, production, consumption and stocks of food is available to all in real time. This approach will reduce uncertainty and allow producers, consumers, traders and processors to make informed decisions and to contain unwarranted panic behavior in global food markets.

The health impacts of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic on some of the poorest countries are still unknown. Yet, we can say with certainty that any ensuing food crisis as a result of poor policy making will be a humanitarian disaster that we can avert.

We already have 113 million people experiencing acute hunger; in sub-Saharan Africa, a quarter of the population is undernourished. Any disruptions to food supply chains will intensify both human suffering and the challenge of reducing hunger around the world.

We must do everything possible to not let that happen. Prevention costs less. Global markets are critical for smoothening supply and demand shocks across countries and regions, and we need to work together to ensure that disruptions of food supply chains are minimized as much as possible.

COVID-19 forcefully reminds us that solidarity is not charity, but common sense.

Author: QU Dongyu
Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Rome, 28th March 2020

Tags: Covid-19FAOHunger
Previous Post

With the Global COVID Pandemic, Villagers in Rural Gambia Call for Provision of Hand Sanitizers, Access to Clean water…

Next Post

Gambia’s “Hungry Season” is June-August: The “Fates” of Mbayen Gardeners Hang in the balance after Suspension of Weekly Markets

M.E Njie

M.E Njie

Mamadou Edrisa Njie is the Publisher and Managing Editor of Mansa Banko Online. Mansa Banko Online is a Gambia-based online newspaper focusing on agricultural reporting. The online medium reports on quality, reliable, factual and authoritative information. Mr. Njie is an alumna of the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) in Germany and studied Mass Communication at the Institute of Professional Administration and Management (IPAM) in Banjul, The Gambia.

Related Posts

RUFORUM SEEKS TO BOOST AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES WITH CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture

RUFORUM SEEKS TO BOOST AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES WITH CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

by M.E Njie
May 6, 2025
GoTG, WB Conclude Negotiations for USD68M as Additional Financing for the GIRAV Project
Agriculture

GoTG, WB Conclude Negotiations for USD68M as Additional Financing for the GIRAV Project

by Press Release
March 26, 2024
Agric. PS Encourages Farmers to Keep Their Own Seeds, Embrace Commercial Agriculture
Agriculture

Agric. PS Encourages Farmers to Keep Their Own Seeds, Embrace Commercial Agriculture

by Press Release
October 2, 2023
DoA, GIRAV Project train Agriculture Extension Workers on Yield Sampling, Survey and Measurement Techniques
Agriculture

DoA, GIRAV Project train Agriculture Extension Workers on Yield Sampling, Survey and Measurement Techniques

by M.E Njie
September 20, 2023
Stakeholders validate GIRAV project supported E-extension ICT Platform for Agricultural Extension Delivery and Management
Agriculture

Stakeholders validate GIRAV project supported E-extension ICT Platform for Agricultural Extension Delivery and Management

by M.E Njie
September 7, 2023
Next Post
Gambia’s “Hungry Season” is June-August: The “Fates” of Mbayen Gardeners  Hang in the balance after Suspension of  Weekly Markets

Gambia's "Hungry Season" is June-August: The "Fates" of Mbayen Gardeners Hang in the balance after Suspension of Weekly Markets

Latest Post

Botswana to Host the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting

Botswana to Host the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting

June 1, 2025
Two Women Leaders to Unveil Amazon Best-Selling Book on Modern Leadership in The Gambia

Two Women Leaders to Unveil Amazon Best-Selling Book on Modern Leadership in The Gambia

May 11, 2025
RUFORUM SEEKS TO BOOST AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES WITH CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

RUFORUM SEEKS TO BOOST AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES WITH CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

May 6, 2025
EU YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (YEP) – TOURISM AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES LAUNCH TO CREATE JOBS FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH

EU YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (YEP) – TOURISM AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES LAUNCH TO CREATE JOBS FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH

February 17, 2025
GYIN Gambia and Doorways to Train 30 Youth Entrepreneurs on Personal Initiative (PI)

GYIN Gambia and Doorways to Train 30 Youth Entrepreneurs on Personal Initiative (PI)

February 14, 2025
Sunu Reew Medical Mission donates medical equipment to EFSTH

Sunu Reew Medical Mission donates medical equipment to EFSTH

February 11, 2025
COMHAFAT and COMAIP Sign Memorandum of Understanding to enhance sustainable fishing in Africa

COMHAFAT and COMAIP Sign Memorandum of Understanding to enhance sustainable fishing in Africa

February 5, 2025

Browse by Tags

AfDB Africa Agriculture Banjul business Children Climate Change Covid-19 COVID19 Development ECOWAS Education EU European Union FAO Farmers Finance Food Food Security Gambia Garden Government GYIN Gambia Health Human Rights IFAD Market Migration National Assembly Nigeria People Poultry Poverty Project Rice Rural Senegal The Gambia Trade United Nations Water Women World Bank YEP Youth

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • FAO
  • Health
  • Human Rights
  • IFAD
  • Migration
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • Science/Tech
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Youth

Browse by Tag

AfDB Africa Agriculture Banjul business Children Climate Change Covid-19 COVID19 Development ECOWAS Education EU European Union FAO Farmers Finance Food Food Security Gambia Garden Government GYIN Gambia Health Human Rights IFAD Market Migration National Assembly Nigeria People Poultry Poverty Project Rice Rural Senegal The Gambia Trade United Nations Water Women World Bank YEP Youth

Recent Posts

  • Botswana to Host the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting
  • Two Women Leaders to Unveil Amazon Best-Selling Book on Modern Leadership in The Gambia
  • RUFORUM SEEKS TO BOOST AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES WITH CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate/Support
  • Subscribe

Facebook Page

Facebook Page
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

© 2020 Mansa Banko Online | Powered by Faalen Technologies.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Agric
  • Business
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Science/Tech
  • More
    • Education
    • Human Rights
    • Sports
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Migration
    • Opinion
    • Tourism

© 2020 Mansa Banko Online | Powered by Faalen Technologies.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?