Home » World » towards a global food crisis?

towards a global food crisis?

There is a risk of “food shortage“on the world market because of disruptions related to Covid-19 in international trade and food supply chains, warned the presidents of two UN and WTO agencies.

Uncertainties about food availability can trigger wave of export restrictions“, provoking itself”a shortage on the world market“said in a rare joint statement the Chinese Qu Dongyu, who heads the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Organization health (WHO) and the Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, leader of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Delays at borders

For the three multilateral organizations dealing with global health, food and trade, it is “important“to ensure trade,”especially to avoid food shortages“, indicates their common text received in Paris.

The three organizations are particularly concerned about “slowdown in the movement of workers in the agricultural and food industry“which block many western agriculture, and”border delays for containers“of goods which result in a”waste of perishable products and increased food waste“.


►►► Read also : All the info on the coronavirus


They also emphasize the need to “protection“employees engaged in food production, workers in the food processing industry and those in distribution, in order to”minimize the spread of the virus in the sector” and of “maintain food supply chains“.

When it comes to protecting the health and well-being of their citizens, countries need to ensure that all trade measures do not disrupt the food supply chain“, add the heads of FAO, WHO and WTO.

International cooperation is essential in times like these“, they emphasize.

We must ensure that our response to the Covid-19 pandemic does not unintentionally create unjustified shortages of essential products and exacerbate hunger and malnutrition“, they conclude.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.