The year of reckoning for global food systems

AROUND the world, lockdowns imposed to control the spread of Covid-19 pushed many industries into a stalemate. However, the agricultural industry has been increasingly recognised as essential in many countries, leading to government exemptions that have allowed the movement of agriculture inputs and continued operations for retailers and distributors. The industry was quick to act and rally farmers, working with stakeholders to ensure minimal disruption to farming operations and food production.

Yet, despite best efforts to maintain normalcy in farm production, we saw cracks in the system because of the complexity and interdependence of agricultural systems. From downstream logistics and processing players operating at reduced capacity to stave off the spread of Covid-19, to countries such as the Philippines implementing policies to reduce the spread of the virus which handicapped the transport of produce along the food supply chain, a small glitch at one end has such a significant ripple effect that it can be felt across the entire chain.

Smallholder farms have been particularly impacted by broken food supply chains, which have seen hectares of fresh fruits and vegetables left to rot in their fields, resulting in loss of income. The implications of food waste have always been significant: In 2019, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) estimated food waste at 1.3 billion tonnes and half a billion people in Asia with limited access to nutritious food.