Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises

COVID-19 has had an instant effect on food systems in developing countries. Restrictions to the movement of people and goods have impaired access to markets, services and food. Unlike other concurrent crises, rather than threatening the material hardware of food systems, COVID-19 has so far affected...

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Main Authors: Heck, S., Campos, Hugo, Barker, I., Okello, J.J., Baral, Arun, Boy, Erick, Brown, Lynn, Birol, Ekin
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/108895
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author Heck, S.
Campos, Hugo
Barker, I.
Okello, J.J.
Baral, Arun
Boy, Erick
Brown, Lynn
Birol, Ekin
author_browse Baral, Arun
Barker, I.
Birol, Ekin
Boy, Erick
Brown, Lynn
Campos, Hugo
Heck, S.
Okello, J.J.
author_facet Heck, S.
Campos, Hugo
Barker, I.
Okello, J.J.
Baral, Arun
Boy, Erick
Brown, Lynn
Birol, Ekin
author_sort Heck, S.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description COVID-19 has had an instant effect on food systems in developing countries. Restrictions to the movement of people and goods have impaired access to markets, services and food. Unlike other concurrent crises, rather than threatening the material hardware of food systems, COVID-19 has so far affected the ‘software’ of food systems, highlighting again that connectivity is at the heart of these systems. Drops in demand, the loss of markets and employment and growing concerns about international cooperation are indications of possible deeper disruptions to come. Amidst this uncertainty, strategies to safeguard food and nutrition security of the world’s poor need to prioritize diversification of production and markets. Nutritious, biofortified crops such as potato, sweetpotato, but also wheat, maize and beans among others, can play a more significant role to provide key micronutrients (vitamin A, iron, zinc) at large scale. Strong local market chains, robust smallholder production systems and increasing commercial utilization make these crops powerful vehicles for securing nutrition when markets and mobility look uncertain. We posit that the evolving impacts of COVID-19 provide an opportunity to focus agricultural innovations, including the development and delivery of biofortified crops, on new and more specifically defined ‘jobs to be done’ throughout the food system. This will help bridge some of the current disruptions in supply and demand and will help prepare food systems for future crises.
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spelling CGSpace1088952025-11-29T05:22:15Z Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises Heck, S. Campos, Hugo Barker, I. Okello, J.J. Baral, Arun Boy, Erick Brown, Lynn Birol, Ekin innovation potatoes sweet potatoes biofortification trace element deficiencies humanitarian organizations covid-19 nutrition trace elements agrifood systems livelihoods resilience food systems COVID-19 has had an instant effect on food systems in developing countries. Restrictions to the movement of people and goods have impaired access to markets, services and food. Unlike other concurrent crises, rather than threatening the material hardware of food systems, COVID-19 has so far affected the ‘software’ of food systems, highlighting again that connectivity is at the heart of these systems. Drops in demand, the loss of markets and employment and growing concerns about international cooperation are indications of possible deeper disruptions to come. Amidst this uncertainty, strategies to safeguard food and nutrition security of the world’s poor need to prioritize diversification of production and markets. Nutritious, biofortified crops such as potato, sweetpotato, but also wheat, maize and beans among others, can play a more significant role to provide key micronutrients (vitamin A, iron, zinc) at large scale. Strong local market chains, robust smallholder production systems and increasing commercial utilization make these crops powerful vehicles for securing nutrition when markets and mobility look uncertain. We posit that the evolving impacts of COVID-19 provide an opportunity to focus agricultural innovations, including the development and delivery of biofortified crops, on new and more specifically defined ‘jobs to be done’ throughout the food system. This will help bridge some of the current disruptions in supply and demand and will help prepare food systems for future crises. 2020-07-25 2020-07-29T18:15:32Z 2020-07-29T18:15:32Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/108895 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134251 Open Access Springer Heck, S.; Campos, H.; Barker, I.; Okello, J.J.; Baral, A.; Boy, E.; Brown, L.; Birol, E. (2020). Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises. Food Security. ISSN 1876-4525. Published online 25Jul2020.
spellingShingle innovation
potatoes
sweet potatoes
biofortification
trace element deficiencies
humanitarian organizations
covid-19
nutrition
trace elements
agrifood systems
livelihoods
resilience
food systems
Heck, S.
Campos, Hugo
Barker, I.
Okello, J.J.
Baral, Arun
Boy, Erick
Brown, Lynn
Birol, Ekin
Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title_full Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title_fullStr Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title_full_unstemmed Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title_short Resilient agri-food systems for nutrition amidst COVID-19: evidence and lessons from food-based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
title_sort resilient agri food systems for nutrition amidst covid 19 evidence and lessons from food based approaches to overcome micronutrient deficiency and rebuild livelihoods after crises
topic innovation
potatoes
sweet potatoes
biofortification
trace element deficiencies
humanitarian organizations
covid-19
nutrition
trace elements
agrifood systems
livelihoods
resilience
food systems
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/108895
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