09 June 2020
COVID-19 and Food Security in Asia: How Prepared are We?
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as a ‘once in a lifetime’ crisis that has severely upended peoples’ wellbeing and security, with potentially long-lasting consequences. Governments have already taken measures to restrict supply chain activities, people movement and food exports. Absent well-thought out preparedness planning and policy responses, the disruptive impact of pandemics can rapidly escalate into a food crisis of global proportions, aggravating problems of malnutrition and hunger, and potentially triggering conflicts. This NTS Insight examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security in Asia, and explores measures that countries can take to ‘pandemic-proof’ the food security of their constituents to prevent pandemic-induced food crises. It looks at Singapore’s approaches in food security as potential best-practices for countries that both produce and import food, and also proposes a roadmap in averting and mitigating the serious consequences of pandemics on food security.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as a ‘once in a lifetime’ crisis that has severely upended peoples’ wellbeing and security, with potentially long-lasting consequences. Governments have already taken measures to restrict supply chain activities, people movement and food exports. Absent well-thought out preparedness planning and policy responses, the disruptive impact of pandemics can rapidly escalate into a food crisis of global proportions, aggravating problems of malnutrition and hunger, and potentially triggering conflicts. This NTS Insight examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security in Asia, and explores measures that countries can take to ‘pandemic-proof’ the food security of their constituents to prevent pandemic-induced food crises. It looks at Singapore’s approaches in food security as potential best-practices for countries that both produce and import food, and also proposes a roadmap in averting and mitigating the serious consequences of pandemics on food security.
