By Dr Lystra Fletcher-Paul
As the COVID 19 pandemic rapidly unfolds around the world and particularly the Caribbean, people are now awakening to the new reality of the far-reaching impacts that this pandemic will have on their lives in the future. One of the sectors which will be affected is regional Food and Nutrition Security.
There will be impacts on all dimensions of Food and Nutrition Security – food availability, access, utilization and stability.
Food availability, both from local production and imports will be reduced. In terms of local production, our farmers, with their average age being 60 years and over are among the most vulnerable to the virus. Food and feedstock imports which, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), account for over 80 % of the food consumed in some countries of the region, are likely to be considerably reduced as our foreign suppliers grapple with the impacts of the pandemic in their own countries and protect their markets to ensure their own food security and sovereignty. Panic buying and hoarding will also exacerbate food availability and contribute to increases in food prices.
