• Says lockdowns and restrictions on movement could disrupt food production, processing, distribution and sales both nationally and globally.
• Official says uncertainty could trigger a wave of export restrictions hiking prices of commodities.
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The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has urged leaders to ensure global food systems continue working well to cushion the poor and most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Director general Qu Dongyu said the pandemic is affecting food systems and all dimensions of food security across the world.
He made the appeal in an online address from Rome to the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on Covid-19.
"We have to ensure food value chains are not disrupted and continue to function well and promote the production and availability of diversified, safe and nutritious food for all," he said.
Qu said lockdowns and restrictions on movement could disrupt food production, processing, distribution and sales both nationally and globally.
“These potentially could have an immediate and severe impact on those restricted by mobility. The poor and vulnerable will be the hardest hit and governments should strengthen social safety mechanisms to maintain their access to food."
Global food markets are well supplied, he said, but there is a growing concern and that measures should be taken to ensure that both national food markets and the world market continue to be transparent, stable and reliable sources of food supply.
Referring to the 2007-08 global food price crisis, the director general said uncertainty at that time triggered a wave of export restrictions by some countries, while others started importing food aggressively.
He said this contributed to excessive price volatility, which was damaging for low-income food-deficit countries.
As economic activities slow down due to the pandemic, access to food will be hurt by income reduction and loss of employment, Qu said.
"We need to make sure agricultural trade continues to play an important role in contributing to global food security and better nutrition. Now, more than ever before, we need to reduce uncertainty and strengthen market transparency through timely and reliable information."
The meeting was also attended by the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Edited by R.Wamochie