Food Scarcity and COVID-19 (1)

Introduction

As the world and more specifically the United States continues to engage in fisticuffs with COVID-19, those belonging to governments who responded lackadaisically to the epidemic continue to face the consequences of their ruling body’s actions. The United States just last night broached half a million deaths as a result of COVID and with the pace of our vaccination rollout it seems that many more will have to needlessly perish at the hands of the virus. Aside from the previous administration’s botched response to our current predicament, there are a host of factors that led us to where we are today. One monumental factor that I personally feel is being overlooked is the distribution of food and the status of our agricultural producers; the food manufacturing industry has had to deal with unprecedented challenges these past few months and this has resulted in global food scarcity. The United States, and most recently Texas has experienced this scarcity tenfold as a result of the extreme weather conditions which has extrapolated current conditions. While the main focus of this blog will focus on food scarcity in the United States, preliminary research on a global scale is first needed in order to gain an understanding of the situation. Additionally, by examining the issue at large globally I hope to illuminate the sources of the problem domestically and perhaps discover something incredibly beneficial to the Bloomington community previously buried under unforeseen sociological or anthropological factors.

The Situation at Hand

With the global rollout of the COVID vaccine happening slowly but surely, there are now over two-hundred million individuals around the world who have received vaccinations. This is great news but there are still billions of people gripped by the novel Coronavirus and until we are free from its clutches the global population will continue to suffer from complications surrounding its existence; even once COVID is dealt with we will be feeling the effects of its presence for years to come. The most pressing of these issues to me is the availability of food, which has been drastically affected by the virus; the agricultural and farming industry has essentially been hit with a brick wall. One notable study published this past summer, as researchers began to observe the harsh effects of COVID, stated that the virus, “has brought agricultural activities to standstill, where people value only those who can produce food for them. It is high time for action and priority must be given to the farmers who are putting their hard work to thrive the whole world as that of police and health workers. The government needs to take vigorous steps to facilitate farmers,” and goes on to list things such as seeding robots and robotic harvesters (Binita, et. al). Without the aforementioned facilitation by local governments, farmers and those belonging to the agricultural industry will continue to face hardship. This isn’t just a one-time fix, either; if COVID has taught us anything so far it is that we must be prepared for another similar situation because the consequences of another botched response could be cataclysmic for our species. There is reason to be optimistic, as countries such as Japan and Israel have had both successful quarantine procedures and vaccination rollouts. Additionally, studies are being published from countries most heavily affected by COVID which shows that the virus has definitely spurred researchers to action. One such study out of India suggests drastic changes, “In the future, investing in the development of diversified local food systems, particularly in tribal districts and the many fragile and vulnerable regions that face greater poverty and food and nutrition insecurity, should be a priority. A paradigm shift is needed in the implementation of government schemes like the National Nutrition Mission and Public Distribution System to create convergence and target local solutions for achieving sustainable diets for people in these regions,”(Kumar, et. al). The key will be whether the global food chain can subsidize such drastic infrastructure changes that will surely prevent needless suffering in the face of another global antagonistic event.

The Importance of Food

As ridiculous as I feel describing the importance of food, it pales to how ridiculous some global officials may feel in recent weeks and months after facing criticism on the COVID response as it pertains to the agricultural industry. A study published just two months ago stressed this importance, “Food security is the most important and crucial aspect of sustainable development. The agricultural sector forms the backbone of the economy and provides livelihood to a large section in developing countries. Therefore, the disruption in food security and the agricultural sector will have far-reaching impacts on these countries,”(Ramadas, et. al). All lived experience is a learning experience, and we can honor those who have lost their lives to this virus by admitting our mistakes and learning from our failures to ensure that loss on such a global scale never happens again. Luckily for us, the news isn’t all bad; there is preventative action being taken by common citizens globally but specifically in the United States to combat the effects of the virus. One study, fresh off the press to be published in the May issue of Appetite reveals that up to 61% percent of Americans have reported decreased food waste in their household. If our local governments fail to act, it’s on the ‘common people’ to be the change they want to see.

On the Agenda

While the finer details of my investigation are still being ironed out, it is my chief objective to interface with the local Bloomington community in the hopes of understanding the scale of which our town has been affected by food insecurity. I aim to reach out to local food banks / shelters and establish correspondence with leaders as well as those personally affected by food scarcity so that a broad picture of our current situation can be painted. If we can better understand the factors driving these issues, it becomes a lot easier to ask the local government to step in and provide aid. In the meantime, further research will be conducted on a macro scale so that a better understanding of the micro community can be gained. 

 

Source(s) Cited:

-https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

-https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

–Timilsina, Binita, Nitu Adhikari, Sheetal Kafle, Susmita Paudel, Sushmita Poudel, and Deepak Gautam. “Addressing Impact of COVID-19 Post Pandemic on Farming and Agricultural Deeds.” Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports. Accessed February 20, 2021. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajarr/2020/v11i430272.

–Kumar, A., Padhee, A. and Kumar, S., 2021. How Indian agriculture should change after COVID-19. [online] Springer. Available at: <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12571-020-01063-6#citeas>

–Workie, Endashaw, Joby Mackolil, Joan Nyika, and Sendhil Ramadas. “Deciphering the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security, Agriculture, and Livelihoods: A Review of the Evidence from Developing Countries.” Current Research in Environmental Sustainability. Elsevier, October 12, 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266604902030027X.