Miller Magazine Issue: 131 November 2020

47 COVER STORY MILLER / November 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to pub- lic health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year. The pandemic has been affecting the entire food system and has laid bare its fragility. Border closures, trade restrictions and con- finement measures have been preventing farmers from accessing markets, including for buying inputs and selling their produce, and agricultural workers from harvesting crops, thus disrupting domestic and international food supply chains and reducing ac- The COVID-19 pandemic has made us more aware of the critical importance of food safety. It's not an exaggeration to say there is no food security without food safety. Improving food safety is an essen- tial element of improving food security, which exists when populations have access to sufficient and healthy food. Pests and diseases damage crops and animals, and reduce the quantity and quality of food available for humans. Using safe and ef- fective methods to control these losses in production, processing and storage helps make food systems more sustainable. Ensuring food safety and quality