Description:
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affects the activities of the food system (food production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumption) and its outcomes —particularly food security and social well-being. The United Nations Secretary-General has drawn attention to the need for an immediate response to avoid a food crisis.This report, co-edited by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), offers policy recommendations for sustaining demand and administering the food trade during the emergency and preventing a regional food crisis should it continue.
I. COVID-19 puts food at risk .-- II. International markets have responded well so far, but there is no guarantee of their resilience if the pandemic continues .-- III. Warning signs in national food markets .-- IV. Vulnerabilities in the regional food system .-- V. Urgent measures to prevent the health crisis from becoming a food crisis .-- VI. Building back better.