The world is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, the situation has improved. The rate of infection has decreased significantly, nationwide lockdowns have been lifted, and supply changes are picking up pace once more.
However, we aren’t out of the woods just yet. The world was already facing a global hunger crisis before the pandemic, and since 2019, things have gotten significantly worse. This article will examine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the global hunger crisis, to assess what can be done to soften the blow.
Whom Is the Global Hunger Crisis Impacting the Most?
The World Food Programme estimates that 828 million people are currently hungry, of which 345 million are facing acute food shortages and 50 million are on the brink of famine. Since 2019, the number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure has risen by over 350 million globally, an increase of 40%. According to UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), children are the primary victims of the ongoing global food crisis. Their data suggest that over 40 million children aren’t receiving the bare minimum nutrition necessary to develop into healthy adults. Another 21 million are at even greater risk of dying of hunger.
Which Countries Are Most Affected?
Developing and underdeveloped nations have been the most severely affected. From the dry corridor in Central America and Haiti, through the Sahel belt, Central African Republic, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and through till Afghanistan. Conflict, including the war in Ukraine, Climate shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs have been the main contributors. Unless efforts are made towards climate-resilient agriculture these communities risk starvation and will be vulnerable to further destabilization and conflict.
How COVID-19 Impacted Farming and Agriculture
To better understand the role COVID-19 has played in the global food crisis, it’s important to go back to the beginning of global food supply chains and assess the effects of the pandemic on agriculture and farming. The food supply chain consists of five main stages, including agricultural production, post-harvest handling, processing, distribution/retail/service and consumption. Although the Pandemic did not directly affect agricultural production but governments around the world placed restrictions on the transportation of goods and in the migration of labor. This had an impact on production ability, particularly in the developing and underdeveloped countries which rely on seasonal employment throughout the stages of the food chain rather than capital intensive techniques.
Data from the World Bank shows us that between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, 76% of farmers in Ghana suffered a dramatic loss of income. The situation was even worse in the Philippines, where 80% of farmers were impacted. As a result, some farmers in Asian and African nations have been forced to default on loans as well.
How Agricultural Technology Is Helping Fight the Global Food Crisis
In the wake of the burgeoning global food crisis, we have seen a rise in the adoption of modern agricultural technology solutions. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, it does raise one significant concern; the gap between those countries that can afford modern agricultural technology and those that can’t is rising steadily.
Innovations in agricultural technology have the potential to impact the global food crisis in significant ways, and bring about meaningful change, but only if it can be used to help those that need it most. This is what Agrilift and our team of experts aim to accomplish.