COVID-19 has brought light to many things that we might have taken for granted before. Toilet paper definitely falls high on that list.

Many prepared for this quarantine by (excessively) stocking up on goods that would allow them to live comfortably at home for months to come. Most businesses are on lockdown and restrictions have been placed on what feels like everything. Yet, even with all of these limitations, a lot of us may not notice any drastic changes in our diet since our pre-COVID-19 days.

I know that I haven’t. 

This could be attributed to the fact that I live in a developed country. Because although there is no global answer to the “will COVID-19 lead to a food crisis?” question- I will most likely fall on the “no” side of the spectrum, according to the predictions of economic models . 

And who is most vulnerable to experience a crisis like this? 

Developing countries. 

COVID-19’s impact could be more conspicuous in these countries due to their lack of economic capacity. 

The surging global recession is due to the lockdown of businesses and has had negative effects on the poor and their food consumption. Incomes have been affected due to restrictions. This has forced families to readjust their diets in order to make ends meet. They’ve shifted away from buying goods like meat/produce and are instead buying other bulked goods like grains which come at lower prices. 

It is not only the market conditions that could potentially raise food prices, but the hoarding and excessive buying as well. 

Richer countries have been able to respond to the economic fallout by initiating monetary policies to help alleviate the negative impact of COVID-19. Developing countries don’t have the funds to act in the same manner which creates a pressure for them to use their resources accordingly.

I am aware that I live in a place where it can be easy to take things for granted, but it’s moments like these that remind me of why I shouldn’t.

Article: https://www.ifpri.org/blog/will-covid-19-cause-another-food-crisis-early-review