The Global Food Crisis

by: Luke Quanbeck

The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world since the start of 2020. Along with it, 280,000 people have died, the global economy has crashed, schools are cancelled, and millions are out of work (JOHNS HOPKINS). But the most deadly issue that has come along with this pandemic isn’t the virus itself but the Global Food Crisis that it has contributed to. National lockdowns are keeping people out of work and drying up incomes. This virus has a tremendous effect on people in poorer nations as they were barely making enough to survive before the pandemic. But not only 3rd world countries are a part of this food crisis. A shocking 59% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, this means that they don’t have savings accounts to access in the case of an income reduction or loss in a situation like this(CHARLES SCHWAB).



Unlike hunger crises in the past which were regional and caused by weather, economic downturns, wars, or political instability, this crisis is worldwide and caused by a virus. These past hunger crises were fixed easily as the rest of the world would come together and send food to the certain areas affected by the crisis. This time, almost every country in the world is fighting their battle against hunger so they cannot afford to help countries that are in a more dire situation. Before the Pandemic there were 135 million people facing hunger, now there is an estimated 130 million more people that will face hunger by the end of 2020.




“Already, 135 million people had been facing acute food shortages, but now with the pandemic, 130 million more could go hungry in 2020”

-Arif Husain, chief economist at the World Food Program.




Experts say that this hunger crisis was caused by multiple factors connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors include the collapse in oil prices, loss of income for millions of people living paycheck to paycheck, widespread shortages of hard currency from tourism dying out, overseas workers not having earnings to send home, and other ongoing issues. Another big factor is that 368 million students worldwide who got free or reduced price lunch are no longer recieving it(NY TIMES). This adds extra stress on the families because now they have to worry about feeding themselves and their children with no income source. There is no shortage of food yet in the world or mass starvation yet. Logistical problems in harvesting, planting, and transporting food are bound to happen in the coming months.




This connects to the course theme of “Explain the interconnected nature of global problems and their economic development” as the pandemic which started in China has spread worldwide and crippled the global economy.

Discussion Questions:

Are wealthier countries responsible for helping the 3rd world countries in this food crisis?

Should the Federal Government be responsible to aid states that are struggling with this food crisis?




Sources:

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/9/21251895/food-banks-lines-pandemic


https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/14/paycheck-to-paycheck-most-americans-struggle-financially-survey-says/39940123/


https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/world/africa/coronavirus-hunger-crisis.html