China News Agency, Beijing, March 31 (Liu Liang) Since the spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic worldwide, food security has been a concern. The reporter learned from the FAO Representative Office in China on the 31st that the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the People's Republic of China, Qu Dongyu, responded to recent questions about global food security. He said that the world must take immediate action to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the food supply chain.
Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, it has not only caused significant human losses, but also caused a heavy blow to the economy.
Qu Dongyu said that in order to prevent the food crisis caused by this public health crisis and cause hundreds of millions of people to fall into a food shortage situation, a coordinated global response is needed to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the food supply chain and cause food supply disruptions or food shortages. Overpriced issues.
After the new crown pneumonia outbreak, measures such as quarantine and closure in various places have affected the global economic value chain to a certain extent. In Qu Dongyu's view, this not only restricts the movement of agricultural labor, but also affects agricultural production due to shortages of inputs such as fertilizers and veterinary drugs. At the same time, the closure of restaurants and the reduction in passenger flow have also reduced the demand for agricultural and aquatic products, affecting both producers and suppliers, and particularly affecting the smallholder economy.
Qu Dongyu said that the uncertainty of food supply may also prompt countries to take trade restrictions to protect national food security.
He analyzed that the experience of coping with the global food price crisis in 2007-2008 proved that exporting countries' restrictions on exports in order to increase domestic food supply may lead to serious disruptions in the world food market, which in turn will cause price surges and increased volatility, which are not conducive to low prices. Food-deficit countries and humanitarian organizations purchase food supplies to assist hungry and vulnerable groups.
"We should all sum up the lessons we have before us, and we must not repeat the same mistakes." Qu Dongyu emphasized.
Although countries face different challenges, Qu Dongyu said that the cooperation between the government and various industries and stakeholders is crucial. "This is a global problem that requires global efforts to resolve."
Qu Dongyu pointed out that the transparency of information is conducive to the normal operation of the food market. Providing real-time information on prices, production, consumption and inventory to all people can reduce uncertainty and enable producers, consumers, traders and processors to make informed decisions. Decided to curb unnecessary panic in global food markets.
"The impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic on the national health of some of the poorest countries is still unknown. But it is safe to say that any food crisis caused by poor policies is a humanitarian disaster that can be avoided." Qu Dongyu said.
According to UN statistics, 113 million people worldwide are currently suffering from severe hunger; in Sub-Saharan Africa, a quarter of people face food shortages, and any damage to the food supply chain will aggravate human suffering and reduce The challenge of global hunger has become even greater.
"We must avoid such consequences", Qu Dongyu emphasized that global markets are essential to alleviate the shock of supply and demand in various countries and regions, and countries need to work together to ensure that the disruption of the food supply chain is minimized.
"The Xinguan epidemic is reminding us in such a tragic way, to help each other together is not only a kind act, it is also normal." Qu Dongyu said. (Finish)