Issue:

Impact of COVID-19 on people's livelihoods, their health and

our food systems

Article Summary:

The impact of COVID-19 livelihoods and food security is a key concern in rural
communities. A huge number of individuals are in danger of falling into outrageous
destitution, while the quantity of undernourished individuals, as of now assessed at
almost 690 million, could increment by up to 132 million before the year's over. The
economic and social turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could be devastating
and depressing.

The primary risks to food security are at the country level: Higher retail prices,
combined with reduced incomes, mean more and more households are having to cut
down on the quantity and quality of their food consumption. The breakdown of supply
chains due to virus contamination and a variety of political constraints pushed up prices,
and simultaneously, increased producer costs, thus increasing food insecurity for urban
and rural poor countries. Global food insecurity warnings were issued as a result of food
shortages, rising prices, and/or loss of income due to continuously of rising
unemployment.

The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly affected the entire food system, revealing its
fragility as it undermined food security both directly by disrupting food systems and
indirectly by the impacts of quarantine on household incomes and physical access to
food. This study evaluates the relationship between livelihood assets and food security
during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas of the world. The results can help rural
development planners and policymakers to improve both livelihoods and food security in
rural communities, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in its aftermath.
Introduction

Covid 19 is a catastrophic event that everyone in this world is greatly affected

such as, business establishments are slowly getting bankrupted, unemployment of
many, poverty continuously growing and even facing the problem of food security all
around the world. During this crucial time of pandemic even the government experience
hardships on how to face such calamity for its people while sustaining the economy’s
growth. Many have lost their jobs which results to immensely growing of malnourished
children. Border closures, quarantines, social distancing, curfews, and trade restrictions
prevent farmers from accessing farms and markets the sale of their products. Strict
controls prevent workers from harvesting agricultural products, triggering significant
socio-economic consequences for people’s livelihoods.

Hunger was already a major problem in the Philippines before the pandemic
struck. On the other hand, the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the hunger
situation in the country is doubling its efforts to address food security.

Salient points:

Article points: The impact of COVID-19 on global extreme poverty

COVID-19 is widely regarded as a temporary shock to economic growth, and

indeed, China's experience with a sharp V-shaped recession and subsequent recovery
demonstrates that this may be the case. However, for the majority of countries, the
economic damage could be more long-lasting, which poses a real threat to families
already living below the poverty line. While living in temporary poverty is difficult, some
families have coping mechanisms in place—assets they can sell, assistance from
governments, relatives, and neighbors. However, poverty leaves permanent scars over
time—malnutrition, disease susceptibility, and missed schooling. As such, it is
worthwhile to consider the longer-term impact of COVID-19 on poverty, despite the
inherent risks inherent in any decade-long economic forecast.
Article Points: Tracking the COVID-19 Economy’s Effects on Food, Housing, and
Employment Hardships

While employment has increased and household budget pressures have eased
in recent months, the unemployment rate remains below pre-pandemic levels, and
millions continue to report that their households did not receive enough food or are
behind on rent payments.

According to research, Census Bureau data show that key hardship indicators
have improved significantly since December 2020, aided by job growth and government
benefits. Hardship rates fell particularly sharply following the March 11 enactment of the
American Rescue Plan, which included $1,400 payments to the majority of Americans
and other assistance to struggling households. (See Fig. 1). Adults with children also
experienced less food insecurity after the federal government began issuing monthly
payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit on July 15, along with other improvements
to food assistance. Nonetheless, approximately 18 million adults live in households that
did not receive enough food, 11 million adult renters are in arrears on their rent, and
some of the progress made since late March appears to have stalled.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we should reevaluate the eventual fate of our current situation and
tackle environmental change with aspiration and direness. Only then can we protect the
health of our people, livelihoods, food security and nutrition of all people, and ensure
that our 'new normal' is a better one.
The Philippine government has paid considerable attention to the issue of food
security and hunger. Nonetheless, the government must step up its efforts and
implement necessary legislative/policy measures to further promote a vibrant
food/agricultural sector, which is critical not only for preventing stunting and malnutrition
among children, but also for managing a pandemic and, more importantly, for feeding
the country's population sustainably.
References:
Kharas, H. (2020, October 29). The impact of COVID-19 on global extreme poverty.
Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2020/10/21/the-impact-
of-covid-19-on-global-extreme-poverty/

Philipp, J. (2021, May 28). Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in the Philippines. The
Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/impact-of-covid-19-on-poverty-in-the-
philippines/

The ASEAN Post. (2020, October 25). More Filipinos Starving Amid The Pandemic.
https://theaseanpost.com/article/more-filipinos-starving-amid-pandemic

Tracking the COVID-19 Economy’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment

Hardships. (2020, August 13). Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-economys-
effects-on-food-housing-and