COVID-19 has become the most significant global pandemic since the SARS outbreak in 2001. The difficulty imposed by extreme measures will cause significant fallout in various industries. This includes for food distributors worldwide, with experts notifying the public that supply shortages will be seen worldwide. It’ll prompt higher prices of these products while creating a significant gap between the wealthy and poor.
The 1st “Food Security Expert” to announce that the coronavirus pandemic will create vital weaknesses for supply chains was Elaine Powers, who works for Queen’s University in Toronto. She expressed that individuals who are insecure with daily food resources will experience increasing issues throughout the next 24 months. This will cause 100+ thousand Canadians to potentially go hungry, with deaths expected to follow from starvation with the homeless.
Elaine Powers mentioned that the outstanding problems enforced by this global pandemic would extend throughout the next decade. Farmworkers are unable to move through international borders, prompting their crops to decay over a short period. Limitations in farm production from climate change was already lowering profits for these individuals. Powers warns that the farming industry could potentially be eliminated throughout North America from the fallout of this pandemic. It’ll mainly be caused by farmers being unable to import honeybees for pollination purposes. Canadian crops could die in mass folds.
Food Security
The Queen’s University Expert has warned Canadians to become more aware of their food security. There’s a significant chance that throwing food away tomorrow could destroy your chances at eating two-weeks from now. Rates of lost products are unknown, with rural nations like South Africa and Sweden expected to experience the worst of this issue. Countries like Canada and America will still feel the burdens of food scarcity though.
Elaine Powers expects that there’ll be a significant increase in nutritional disparities for low-income households. It’ll force individuals that have never stepped foot inside a Food Bank to risk their safety for consumption. Medical experts anticipate that Food Banks will become a breeding ground for bacteria and disease with COVID-19. This mainly follows after Justin Trudeau announced that $100 Million would be donated towards Breakfast Clubs and Food Banks across Canada. Experts have deterred this decision and expressed that home delivery of nutritional goods would’ve been the better options. However, Justin Trudeau has been weak throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and often resumed to his quarters when questioned to intensely.