Miller Magazine Issue: 128 August 2020

74 MILLER / August 2020 “The COVID-19 pandemic delivered terrible shocks to the food industry.But international cooperation overcame initial protectionistmeasures in the global food trade. The international community now needs to build more resilient regional food systems post-COVID-19.” To counter the COVID-19 recession, we need to invest in food systems* At the onset of the crisis, food supply cha- ins were strained as many countries imposed restrictions on movement of goods and peop- le across and within borders. As a result, the challenge was not availability of food but easy access to it. Next, anxious over the uncertainties linked to food supply, some countries restricted food exports, making this situation even more chal- lenging. These protectionist measures were partly introduced to avoid rising food prices domes- tically as weakened national currencies made it more advantageous for food producers to export rather than sell at home. The resulting food price inflation could have had significant consequences – making poverty worse and le- ading to social and political unrest. Fortunately, excessive protectionism was avoided and many of the initially imposed restrictions have been removed with countries adopting overall a restrained and reasonable approach. This is something, we at the Food and Agri- culture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconst- ruction and Development (EBRD) commend countries for. We also recognise the enormous Máximo Torero Beata Javorcik Assistant Director-General Economic and Social Development Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Chief Economist European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)