Supporting disrupted food systems: A vital mission of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic Context: Bangladesh

1. Dr. Sreekanta Sheel
International Food Value Chain Expert
Andhra Pradesh Irrigation and Livelihood Improvement Project, India
Key Note Presentation by:
Date : 17.10.2020. Time: 07:00 pm, Telecasted From: BAFNA and BSAFE Foundation Facebook Page and Group
Organized by: BAFNA and BSAFE Foundation
Key Note Presentation by:
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2. Introduction
 The thematic area of the World Food Day this year- Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
 More elaborately, the theme emphasizes “preserving access to safe and nutritious food is
and will continue to be an essential part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic,
particularly for poor and vulnerable communities, who are hit hardest by the pandemic
and resulting economic shocks”.
 In a moment like this, it is more important than ever to recognise the need to support our
food heroes -farmers and workers throughout the food system and hence the present
keynote paper is aiming at discussing on supporting disrupted food systems in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic with the following two specific objectives:
 Review the recent published papers dealing with impacts of COVID-19 on food systems and
suggested corrective measures and assimilate the most common and emphasized measures in
response to the crisis
 To create awareness on the needful actions for preserving the food system among the
participants on this eve of the World Food Day.
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3. Introduction (Contd…)
 Food systems (FS) encompass:
 the entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in
the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal
of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries (i.e.
corresponding to value chain), and parts of the broader economic, societal and
natural environments in which they are embedded (FAO 2018).
 The food system is composed of:
sub-systems e.g. farming system (i.e. corresponding to value chain) , waste
management system, input supply system, etc. and
interacts with other key systems (e.g. energy system, trade system, health
system, etc.).
 Hence, a structural change in the food system might originate from a change in
another system, for example, changes in health system, trade system will significantly
affect the food system.
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4. Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System
Livelihood/ Social Safety Net
 According to a survey conducted by the Bangladesh National Nutrition
Council (BNNC), 75% of respondents indicated that they did not have
sufficient access to food at home, while 91% stated that they did not have
sufficient money to buy food (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Commodities with high income elasticities such as fruits and vegetables, meat,
fish, milk, and eggs are facing significant declines in demand due to
contraction in incomes of non-salaried informal workers and price spikes,
especially in urban areas (Abhishek et al. 2020).
 Widespread loss of jobs in both the formal and informal sectors has led to
declining purchasing power, not only for low-income but also lower-middle-
and middle-income households (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
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5. Nutritional intake
 Nutritionists have warned the government that it is not adequately considering
balanced and diverse diets in the distribution of food relief (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR,
July 2020).
 In order to manage rising food prices combined with declined purchasing power,
poor households are eating cheaper and less nutritious foods, often sacrificing
the quality of their diet. (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Misinformation concerning the spread of COVID-19 through fish and poultry
products has caused a decrease in consumption of these foods. Eggs and broiler
meat are important sources of protein, especially for low-income households.
(WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 There have been several reports of reduced consumption of protein. According
one survey, 94% of respondents in low-income groups have reduced spending
on protein food items. This is a key issue for food security as decline in
purchasing power is affecting dietary intake (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System (Contd…)
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6. Production Management Systems
 The agricultural sector in Bangladesh is expected to lose close to 625 million United
United States dollars (USD) (=5300 Crore BDT ) as a result of the pandemic. Perishable
goods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, is the area that has been hit the hardest,
while staple crops, such as boro rice, have been less affected (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR,
2020).
 Travel restrictions have led to disruptions in transportation, hampering farmers’ access
to agricultural inputs like for fertilizers, agro-chemicals, machinery, and seeds, human
labor, and preventing significantly risen as a result. (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020,
Amjath et al, July 2020 ).
 Similar disruptions to hatchery operations and feed supplies (FAO 2020a) affect
aquaculture, poultry, and livestock production.
 ‘Stay in place’ orders and limitations imposed on migration have created pockets of
labor shortages (FAO 2020b). Even where farmers have been able to hire sufficient
farm labor, social distancing measures have slowed operations.
Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System (Contd…)
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7. Fig. 1.
Potential
COVID-19
pathways
(Source:
Amjath et al,
July 2020).
Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System (Contd…)
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8. Postharvest Management Systems
 The lack of adequate storage facilities, combined with transport disruptions and a fall in
in demand, have led to wastage of perishable goods (milk and vegetables). Labour
shortages have also affected crop harvesting (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
Lack of Financial Capacity of Farmers and Small- and Medium- Enterprises
 SMEs and smallholder farmers are suffering from decreased financial capacity and lack
sufficient capital for the purchase of inputs. This puts them at risk of borrowing money
with high interest rates (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 In addition, a reduction in sales of agricultural inputs is likely to translate into reduced cash
cash flows for retailers and wholesalers, which may lead to a liquidity crunch that can
impact dealers’ ability to maintain stocks of critical inputs (iDE 2020).
 For individual farmers, lower sales revenues that result from price and sales volume
changes for winter season produce have led to capital shortages. These in turn could
impact input purchasing decisions, especially for the next cropping season that
in July (Amjath et al, July 2020 ).
Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System (Contd…)
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9. Domestic Market Systems and Changes in Consumer Behaviour
 The poultry sector has been affected by the spread of misinformation suggesting that COVID-19
can be contacted through eggs and chicken and fish. Consequently, there has been a drop in
demands for egg, chicken and fish (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Closures of restaurants and food catering businesses have also affected demand, especially of fish
and livestock products (FAO 2020a).
International Trade
 Significant impact on supply chain continuity, with border closures, import/ export and movement
movement restrictions increasing challenges.
 International and domestic supply chains for fertilizers, agro-chemicals, machinery, and seeds
have been obstructed by import and movement restrictions.
 Logistical constraints (international shipping and domestic transport interruptions), and partial
closures of input dealerships appear to be common problems.
Impact of COVID-19 fear on Food System (Contd…)
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10. Recommendations/ Actions Required
Extended social safety nets
 Support to smallholder and resource-poor farmers and producers in rural
areas, but also to urban poor and rural landless consumers who are
experiencing elevated prices for food products
Focus interventions and support measures on female-headed
households, as these households have been facing more severe
impacts during the COVID-19 crisis (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Supporting most vulnerable groups with appropriate in-kind and cash support
to ensure that they have adequate access to essential food items (NAWG-BD
2020).
 Pre-positioning stockpiles of essential items in priority districts to enable faster
distribution of relief when the need emerges (NAWG-BD 2020).
 A dramatic reduction in remittances sent home is expected as a result of the
pandemic, with considerable impact on rural livelihoods and food and
nutrition security in areas of origin.
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11. Extended social safety nets (Contd…)
 OECD (June 2020) suggested to invest in policies to tackle the following triple challenge in
in the medium- and long- term.
Ensuring food and nutrition security: Getting food to consumers requires well-
functioning supply chains and social safety nets
Protecting livelihoods: Policies to address livelihood impacts along the food chain should
should help farmers and firms to respond flexibly to changing market conditions
Environmental sustainability: Immediate COVID-19 pressures should help reinforce
efforts to address long-term sustainability challenges
 Expand social protection, in the short-term as part of countries’ economic stimulus
measures, to cover more people and provide more generous benefits to ensure food access
for all, while also reducing the administrative burden needed to access the funds (FAO,
2020g).
 Build resilience into food systems to safeguard them against future economic and health
shocks as part of stimulus measures to ensure food access (FAO-RAP, 2020j).
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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12. Nutritional Uptake
 Promote the nutritional importance of vegetables, eggs, chicken and fish, through
consumer awareness campaigns, to debunk myths that circulate about the
transmission of COVID-19 through some products. Awareness of the importance of
healthy diets is needed at community level, especially for pregnant and lactating
women, children and the elderly (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Immediate interventions to ensure fair pricing to safeguard producers and consumers,
Micronutrient supplement for the HH with PLW and children to ensure nutrition
(NAWG-BD 2020).
 FAO-Bangladesh (FAO, May 2020):
 Increase awareness on COVID -19 food related risks using correct information to dispel
widespread misinformation.
 Undertake national nutrition needs assessments of the ultra-poor and vulnerable.
 Elaborate projections and forecasting of food security and nutrition situations and
analysis at both district and union-levels.
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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13. Input and Credit Supply to Farmers and SMEs
 Assess producers’ needs for financial support and incentives, and ensure access to these incentives.
provided for in other ways, such as through non-Farmers who cannot obtain credit from banks
could be governmental organisations (NGOs) or microfinance institutions (MFIs), as low-interest
credit is necessary for their survival.
 Facilitate access for SMEs to much broader financial packages, such as soft microcredit schemes, so
so that they can re-employ workers and have a working capital. It is essential to ensure that such
incentives do not cause extra burdens.
 SMEs also need capacity support, technological support, skills development and logistic support.
This is key to guaranteeing food safety (for example, in enhancing storage capacity). The
development of skills for youth, linked to different inputs in the food system (e.g. processing), will
support long-term financial recovery (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Assess the production of various crops to identify where, how and in what way they are affected. As
the winter crop cycle is coming up, the risks for the next crop season should also be assessed (WUR,
GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Producers need long term support in terms of inputs (good quality seed, fertilisers, irrigation
systems, finance, etc.). (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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14. Agricultural Services
To address reductions in farmers’ ability to access extension services,
strengthening digital and telephonic extension services including use of
tele-networks and interactive voice message service, warning and
agricultural advisory systems and smartphone apps
 Labour Management
Innovative labor management tools alongside, creation of labour banks
(a pool of willing and healthy workers who can be readily contacted,
assembled, and deployed) can also act as an intermediary measure to
tackle labour shortages
Control the spread of the virus and implement physical distancing to
reduce fear among all labourers, including those working in food supply
chains (FAO, 2020f).
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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15. Supporting to Food Processing and food safety
Emphasis should be provided in playing a role to make together
together the different actors and sectors along the food supply
chain and making sure that every person is conscious on
importance of safety in food.
Secondly, in systems where production depends on external
inputs, market systems/ international trade to be maintained as
far as possible.
Communicate food safety and nutrition information in
partnership with modern retailers (FAO-BD, May 2020)
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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16. Marketing Support for Agricultural Produces
 Ensure fair prices for farmers and consumers, and for market stabilisation. This may also
require an analysis of the private sector’s role in supplying food. The concerned
organizations need to have an effective system through which all types of information
relating to production, markets and pricing can be easily attained (WUR, GAIN &
CGIAR, July 2020).
 Transparency remains crucial for food security. Sharing timely information on trade-
related measures, as well as making information available on production, consumption,
stocks and food prices, would help markets function efficiently and contribute to
ensuring global food security (WTO, August 2020).
 Strengthen GOB district-level food price volatility monitoring (FAO-BD, May 2020)
 Guaranteeing the supply of horticultural, fish and livestock products – in addition to
staples such as rice and wheat is required to ensure diverse, nutritious and safe diets.
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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17. International Trade Management Support
 The joint statement by the Directors-General of the WTO, FAO and World Health Organization
(WHO) on 31 March 2020 specifically stressed the importance of trade for food security and the
livelihoods of millions of people around the world, and called on governments to ensure that any
trade-related measures in response to the crisis do not disrupt food supply chains (WTO, August
2020)
 Avoid export restrictions in international trade to make sure supply chains continue to function
(FAO, 2020i).
 Crucial supportive measures on innovative and robust marketing mechanisms with effective
international trade management policies and institutions particularly:
internationally oriented interventions are also crucial. DiamFor example, 60% of the urea and
more than 90% of the Muriate of Potash (MOP), Triple Super Phosphate (TSP), monium
Phosphate (DAP) fertilizers used by farmers in Bangladesh are imported (BFA 2020).
Bangladesh is also dependent on the regular import of commodities like wheat (6 million
tonnes per year), soy (1 million tonnes per year), and maize (2 million tonnes per year) for
both human food and animal feed (USDA 2019).
Hybrid seeds (e.g. for maize and vegetables) are also commonly imported.
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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18. International Trade Management Support (Contd…)
 In Bangladesh, even partial closure of ports may result in high prices and limited
stocks of grains, pulses, edible oils as well as crucial feed supplies (particularly
maize and soybean).
 Prolonged suspension of international trade could undermine the post monsoon
season supply of key inputs (particularly fertilizers, vaccinations, medicines used in
in aquaculture, hybrid seeds and potentially fuel for machinery and irrigation
equipment) at reasonable prices.
 Coordination with the government to facilitate logistical setup within current
restrictions, including fast-tracking importing and clearance of essential items
required for response (NAWG-BD 2020).
 Establish a Task Force to oversee import of foods and agricultural inputs (FAO-BD,
BD, May 2020)
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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19. Coordination
 Enhance coordination and information sharing between the government and NGOs
(and others). Additionally, community leaders could play a key role in sharing how
have shown resilience and dealt with this crisis at micro-level, to support a learning process
for a possible next crisis. Lessons on how people have addressed food distribution for the
poorer households in urban areas need to be recognised for better planning of future
interventions (WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020).
 Governments should work together with the private sector to solve disruptions in food
supply chains when they arise (FAO, 2020h).
 Form public-private partnerships to increase food delivery by retailers (FAO-BD, May
2020)
Use of Monitoring systems
 Amjath et al. (from CYMMIT and World Fish) reported a monitoring system using
key indicators. Well-designed monitoring systems can assist in the development of
early warning systems to alert when food production systems and associated
value chains are nearing vulnerability thresholds.
Recommendations/ Actions Required (Contd…)
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20. References
1. T. S. Amjath-Babu, Timothy J. Krupnik, Shakuntala H. Thilsted & Andrew J. McDonald. July 2020. Key indicators for monitoring
food system disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from Bangladesh towards effective response. Food
Security (2020) 12:761–768, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01083-2
2. Md. Nasir Uddin, Badrul Alam , SK Shaheenur Islam , Mohammad Arif , Md. Mahbubul Alam and S. M. Lutful Kabir. (June)
2020. Impact of COVID-19 on food safety and security in low and middle income countries. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. 2020, 6
(2), 130-137; doi: 10.3329/ajmbr.v6i2.48043
3. Daniel Gilligan. June 2020. Social safety nets are crucial to the COVID-19 response: Some lessons to boost their effectiveness.
http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/133820/filename/134049.pdf
4. FAO. 2018. Sustainable food systems Concept and framework. http://www.fao.org/3/ca2079en/CA2079EN.pdf
5. FAO. April 2020. Migrant workers and the COVID-19 pandemic. http://www.fao.org/3/ca8559en/CA8559EN.pdf
6. FAO. Jun 2020. Impacts of coronavirus on food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific: building more resilient food
systems. http://www.fao.org/3/ca9473en/CA9473EN.pdf
7. NAWG-BD. (Needs Assessment Working Group BANGLADESH). April.2020. COVID-19: Bangladesh. Multi-Sectoral Anticipatory
Impact and Needs Analysis. https://app.adpc.net/publications/covid-19-bangladesh-multi-sectoral-anticipatory-impact-and-
needs-analysis
8. OECD. June 2020. COVID-19 and Global Food Systems. http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/covid-19-and-
global-food-systems-aeb1434b/
9. FAO-BD, May 2020. Rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh.
https://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/fao_bangladesh_covid-19_rapid_assessment_report_09-05-
2020_final13may2020.pdf
10. CIP2 2016-2020. July 2020. Monitoring Report 2020, Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Ministry of Food,
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
11. WTO, August 2020. Covid-19 And Agriculture: A Story of Resilience.
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/covid19_e/agric_report_e.pdf
12. WUR, GAIN & CGIAR, July 2020. Rapid country assessment: Bangladesh. The impact of COVID-19 on the food system.
Wageningen University & Research, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for
Nutrition and Health (17 July 2020).
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21. Conclusions
 Over the past months, governments and their health agencies have been
trying to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic with mobility
restrictions and social-distancing measures. We value their efforts to
protect people’s lives, health and livelihoods, as these measures contribute
to a reduction in the likelihood of human mortality, severe health
consequences and the spread of the disease, especially among vulnerable
people and communities.
 However, these efforts have also resulted in challenges in the functioning of
food systems in in low- and middle-income countries including
Bangladesh.
 To address the challenges, increased coordination with different
government, private, and non-governmental agencies, as well as
development partners, multilateral institutions, and international agencies
are needed for successful mitigation and the creation of more resilient food
systems.
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