The pandemic disease has brought mammoth predicament in food systems of developing economies, according to International Union of Food Science and Technology.
On the occasion hosted by the International Union of Food Science and Technology, Dr. Ruth Oniango, Chair of the Board of Sasakawa Africa Association indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic to a conflict, with major disruptions in peoples lives that impact food production for majority of smallholder farmers and also disrupts the food supply chain. The virus was slow arriving on the African continent. With the whole world predicting the worst for Africas 54 sovereign states, countries with very weak economies were forced to get ready, despite the fact that these governments do not have social safety net programs to cushion the impact on their populations. They have no reserves, coping with their periodic food crises through donors that now have to mobilize all resources to help themselves. In addition, bad governance leads to the kind of inequality seen over the decades, leaving low income citizens unable to cope with hunger and malnutrition that result from drought and conflicts.
Added he said that a number of the countries that had a head start with the virus are highly urbanized. In most African countries, much of the population lives in rural areas, while 80 percent of the urban populations live in urban settlements, with meagre incomes. People derive comfort and security from living together but this social culture is now are challenged through social distancing and requirements to wash hands are imposed, even though there may be no water or it has to be bought.
He capitalized that the virus is impacting in the middle of the land preparation and planting season in East Africa and, with many sub-Saharan African countries adopting measures similar to those by Western countries, major food deficits are anticipated. However, to every challenge there is a silver lining. COVID-19 provides African countries the opportunity to find local solutions and to revisit relevant policies that have hitherto not been taken seriously. As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, countries and regions have to come back with new ways of cooperating and more equitable ways of working together. There is a lot going on in many countries; hopefully, all this can be documented.
Catherine Bertini, World Food Prize Laureate, Former UN Under Secretary and Executive Director of the World Food Programme. He said, concerning the Crisis Management and in the interruptions in the food chain, that the hope is that countries yet to be hard hit by COVID-19 are planning and learning lessons from other countries. From villages to nations, leaders must be nimble and move quickly to fix disruptions in food chains. Examples include the shutdown of the food service side of the food industry. As restaurants close, suppliers lose customers. Wherever possible, guidance should be provided to those food suppliers to pivot to sales in markets and stores where demand is growing. As schools close, school food programs, should be maintained with arrangements for orderly pick up of food from the schools or distribution in relevant areas.
“As demand for food rises, rules for acceptable sales and distribution to avoid wasting of food must be implemented. As national leadership reacts to growing food needs, they should avoid knee-jerk political decisions, such as closing borders, that negatively impact their own consumers, farmers, and processors. Organizations and governments must find creative approaches for delivery of food and food aid, sometimes even house to house. Systems are needed to avoid people rushing the food distribution process. He added
He went to say that the importance of food assistance within the first 1000 days of life from pregnancy until the age of 2, must be recognized as the most critical time in development, during which the requirement for adequate food must be met with the creation of more production and distribution of special food for this vulnerable population to avoid a generation of stunted children. Poor leadership decisions can make matters worse. Leaders at every level must surround themselves with thoughtful advisors from a variety of disciplines to help them to make quick and informed decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of their people. In addition, the voices of women in their community and family leadership roles must be heard.
African nations are faced with technical and practical problems, but governments do not have the finance to implement meaningful interventions and support. People depend not only on protection from the virus but also on access to nutritious and sufficient food without which they lose their livelihoods, sparking tension and social unrest, he added.
He stated that as the COVID 19 pandemic takes hold in Africa, it will spread like wildfire, taking advantage of favorable preconditions: people on the extreme end of the hunger spectrum, weak and less well equipped to face any pandemic; the majority of the African population depending heavily on traditional, seasonal agricultural production and its attendant job , fishing or pastoralism; and the lack of health facilities, promiscuity, existing and frequent comorbidities, such as AIDS, hypertension and diabetes.
“The globally accepted practice of closing down cities and businesses is difficult to implement in the African context. If the farmers have no planting season, seasonal workers are restricted, and access to seeds and markets are closed, it will lead to food shortages, price increases and starvation in vulnerable populations. Efforts should be made to assist workers impacted in the hope that with support from the international community, some of the foreseeable negative impacts of COVID 19 can be mitigated. He pointed out.
He mentioned that there is no doubt of the impact of the pandemic on the food system, for chefs, farmers, food service workers, processing and distribution workers and many other, is critical. Governments across the continent have stepped up measures to contain the massive spread through means of screening of travellers and deployment of agents for surveillance, cut down on flights, tightening of borders, restrictions of movements and gatherings with social distancing, and closing of schools and public places, all under a state of curfew and emergency with measures to go along with it. While some measures are generic, some must be country, region specific and consideration must be given to how best to apply them to avoid causing more harm than good.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 24/2020
BY MEHARI BEYENE
