Covid-19: UN focuses on food security (Video)

The secretary general for the United Nations, António Guterres, said there is more than enough food in the world to feed the population of almost eight billion people.
He was speaking from New York on June 9, at the launch of the Policy Brief on the Impact of Covid-19 on Food Security and Nutrition.

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“More than 820 million people are hungry. And some 144 million children under the age of five are stunted. Our food systems are failing, and the Covid-19 pandemic is making things worse,” he said.

#COVID19 is a threat to food security and nutrition, especially to the most vulnerable.

Without immediate action, we could soon face a massive global food emergency with disastrous long term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults.https://t.co/wYGezfdu8U pic.twitter.com/6VHdmJJb5J

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 9, 2020

Guterres said that unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food emergency that could have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults.

“This year, some 49 million extra people may fall into extreme poverty due to the Covid-19 crisis. The number of people who are acutely food or nutrition insecure will rapidly expand,” he said.

Even in countries with abundant food, the UN has seen risks of disruptions in the food supply chain.

“We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic”.

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The policy brief has three clear findings.
“First, we must mobilise to save lives and livelihoods, focusing attention where the risk is most acute. That means designating food and nutrition services as essential, while implementing appropriate protections for food workers.

“It also means preserving critical humanitarian food, livelihood and nutrition assistance to vulnerable groups.
“Countries need to scale up support for food processing, transport and local food markets, and they must keep trade corridors open to ensure the continuous functioning of food systems,” Guterres said.

The second finding outlined in the policy brief was the need to strengthen social protection systems for nutrition.
“Countries need to safeguard access to safe, nutritious foods, particularly for young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people and other at-risk groups.

“This includes supporting children who no longer have access to school meals,” Guterres said.

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Our food systems are failing, and the #COVID19 pandemic is making things worse. We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic.

— @antonioguterres on enhancing global food security amid the #coronavirus crisis. https://t.co/jL7AEdryXU pic.twitter.com/63SvOwjrZU

— United Nations (@UN) June 10, 2020

He added that the third finding in the policy brief was the need to invest in the future.

“We have an opportunity to build a more inclusive and sustainable world. Let us build food systems that better address the needs of food producers and workers.
“Let us provide more inclusive access to healthy and nutritious food so we can eradicate hunger. Let us re-balance the relationship between food systems and the natural environment by transforming them to work better with nature and for the climate,” he said.

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