COVID-19 IMPACT ON FOOD SUPPLY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has expanded fast and widely over the world since late 2019, has had far-reaching consequences for food security and nutrition. Through a variety of mechanisms, the growing crisis has impacted food systems and jeopardized people's access to food. We have seen not just a significant interruption in food supply chains as a result of lock-downs induced by the worldwide health crisis, but also a significant global economic downturn.  These crises have led in reduced earnings and rising food costs, placing food out of reach for many people, removing the right to food, and ultimately starvation (Almena, Fryer, & Bakalis, 2019).

This pandemic has influenced on all actors in the food chain. Deep global economic shocks caused by COVID-19 have impacted the cash flow and financial liquidity of producers, small and medium agri-businesses, and financial institutions, as a result of reduced production capacity, limited market access, loss of remittances, lack of employment, and unexpected medical costs. As governments continue to implement large-scale relief and stimulus packages, the requirements of food system players demand special consideration. These dynamics pose major food security and nutrition problems. According to (Aldaco, Hoehn, & Laso, 2020), almost two billion people had moderate or severe food insecurity prior to the beginning of the pandemic. These figures have been rising steadily since 2014, increasing by 60 million in five years.

According to the projections, between 83 and 132 million extra people would face food insecurity as a direct result of the pandemic (Agrilinks, 2020), including 38-80 million individuals in low-income countries that rely on food imports (Agrilinks, 2020). At least 25 nations, including Lebanon, Yemen, and South Sudan, are at danger of major food security degradation as a result of the pandemic's secondary socioeconomic effects.  In Nigeria, the number of individuals in need of food aid has increased due to the pandemic (UN, 2020). Food productivity is and will suffer if the infection is not contained especially with the emergence of the new variants.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In general, consumers are not really concerned on how the food they eat is produced. Concerns over food safety in the middle of a global epidemic, on the other hand, have focused attention on the massive infrastructure and personnel necessary for ensuring a secure and dependable food supply worldwide.  Consumer demand food demand has surged, particularly during this global crisis, resulting in surplus sales of necessary supplies. The supply chain right now is fragile (Almena, Fryer, & Bakalis, 2019). This study seeks to address this and the necessary steps to take.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROBLEM

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate covid-19’s impact on food supply. Specifically, other objectives of this study are:

i.          To examine the extent of covid-19’s impact on food consumers

ii.        To examine the extent of covid-19’s impact on food suppliers

iii.      To determine the extent of covid-19’s impact on food producers

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i.          To what extent is covid-19’s impact on food consumers?

ii.        To what extent is covid-19’s impact on food suppliers?

iii.      To what extent is covid-19’s impact on food producers?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study on the impact of social media on covid-19’s impact on food supply will in no doubt serve as a relevant material to all individuals, organizations and the Governments as it reveals the extent of effects the pandemic has had on the cosumer, supplier and the producer. This study will also assist other researchers who may for one reason or the other carryout research on topics related the one under study.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on covid-19’s impact on food supply. It will also focus on examining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food consumers, examining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food suppliers and determining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food producers. Staff of King’s Flour Mill, Akwa Ibom State will serve as enrolled participants for this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to covid-19’s impact on food supply. It will also focus be limited to examining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food consumers, examining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food suppliers and determining the extent of covid-19’s impact on food producers. Staff of King’s Flour Mill, Akwa Ibom State will serve as enrolled participants for this study. This will serve as a limitation to this study.

Also the researcher in the course of data collection, had to put in extra effort to interpreting interviews schedule of the respondents, some who fall within the in comprehensible age limit. Additionally, there were financial and transit constraints.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: a marked effect or influence

Covid-19: COVID 19 is an illness caused by a new virus that is spreading rapidly across the world. It can affect your breathing system – your lungs and airways. It can be spread from person to person through germs that end up on the hands and on surfaces when infected persons are coughing or sneezing.

Food supply: food obtained for a household or for a country.

REFERENCES

Aldaco, R, Hoehn, D, Laso, J, et al.  (2020). Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach. The Science of the Total Environment,  742: 140524.

Almena, A, Fryer, P J, Bakalis, S, et al.  (2019). Centralized and distributed food manufacture: a modeling platform for technological, environmental and economic assessment at different production scales. Sustainable Production and Consumption,  19: 181–193.

Agrilinks. (2020). Preventing global food security crisis under COVID-19 [Online]. https://www.agrilinks.org/post/preventing-global-food-security-crisis-under-covid-19-emergency.

HLPE. 2020b. Food Security and Nutrition: Building a Global Narrative towards 2030. Report 15. Rome, HLPE

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