Farmers Are Warning Us About A GLOBAL Food CRISIS..
Welcome back to Down On The Farm. While working to feed the world, many agricultural workers are unable to lift themselves out of poverty and food insecurity. As the pandemic spreads, the continued functioning of food supply chains is crucial in preventing a food crisis and reducing the negative impact on the global economy. Coordinated policy responses are needed to support agribusiness and the livelihoods and working conditions of millions of agricultural workers in line with relevant international labor standards.
Farmers are used to adapting to circumstances, whether it’s droughts, floods or infestations of pests. Overcoming unpredictable hurdles goes with the job, but the pandemic is bringing a range of new challenges to growing the food people depend upon. These challenges make it clear that more must be done to enhance the resilience of our food system. It is impossible to predict what the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will be. What we do know is that a more resilient food system is needed to improve agricultural sustainability and help supply chains withstand and respond to future crises. The good news is that agriculture is an industry used to rising to the challenge. The uncertainty about the future makes it very difficult for farmers to plan. How can they make investment decisions without knowing what demand will be when that product is ready to be harvested? Farmers, however, are resilient and hope for a return to a new normal.
