Food systems in the wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting food and nutrition security through economic and social systems shocks, food system disruptions and gaps in coverage of essential health and nutrition services. Food systems in low- and middle-income countries must adapt and strengthen food and nutrition security in the wake of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact health and livelihoods in West Africa. Exposure of food system fragilities by the pandemic presents the opportunity for regional-specific reforms to deliver healthy diets for all and promote resilience to future shocks.

COVID-19 is disrupting food systems globally and governments must stabilize food supply chains and thoughtfully expand social safety nets now to avert social unrest. Lessons learned from the 2008–2012 food price crises point to seven actionable points to consider.

Emerging evidence indicates that the changes brought about by COVID-19 have raised the risk of unhealthy weight gain, food insecurity and undernutrition. Building back better nutrition demands a double-duty approach where actions to aid recovery synergistically reduce the risk of both obesity and undernutrition.

Insufficient capacity in domestic food production, just-in-time supply chains and Brexit-related labour market challenges have weakened the UK’s food system. Building redundancy and diversity in the food system is essential for resilience in the COVID-19 recovery.

Impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on maternal and child nutrition outcomes, and productivity losses due to childhood stunting and mortality, in 118 low- and middle-income countries are projected under optimistic, moderate and pessimistic scenarios. Six nutrition interventions to mitigate excess stunting and child mortality are financially costed.

An economic model estimates increases in the number of people unable to afford even half the cost of healthy diets in low- and middle-income countries due to the COVID-19 crisis.

COVID-19 and locust swarms have threatened international agricultural supply chains. Here, the possible impacts on wheat, rice and maize trade are modelled, showing that trade restrictions could create food price spikes and localized food shortages.

A quantitative analysis of human encroachment into wildlife habitats highlights that horseshoe bats occur in hotspots of forest fragmentation, livestock density and human populations—particularly in China—increasing the risk of SARS-related zoonotic pathogen spillover.