Agricultural markets in the Covid-19 turmoil

Asparagus harvest in Weiterstadt, near Frankfurt, during the Covid-19 epidemic, March 18, 2020. REUTERS / Kai Pfaffenbach

By: Jean-Pierre Boris Follow

The main agricultural products are not immune to the economic turmoil triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although crops are harvesting, grain imports are difficult and global food security is threatened

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In these mysterious and frightening times of the Covid-19 pandemic, when whole economies are at a standstill, when their restart leaves exposed the social disruption caused by the economic crisis, when the borders are closed and open with great difficulty , trade is difficult. This is the case for masks, for industrial products but also for agricultural products. These issues are devoted to these agricultural questions.

What is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the circulation of basic foodstuffs. Are wheat, rice, corn, to name a few, trapped in silos away from consumers? Are their prices soaring or collapsing? Is the aspiration for policies of food self-sufficiency reinforced or are peasants abandoned to their fate?

All these questions and many others asked of the three guests of this program:

- Patricio Mendez del Villar, an economist at CIRAD, is a specialist in the world market for rice and the rice sector in West Africa. It also monitors agricultural dynamics in West and Central Africa and their impact on food security,

- Sébastien Abis, associate researcher at IRIS, the Institute for International and Strategic Relations, also heads the Demeter think-tank which is devoted to analyzes on international agricultural and food issues,

- Frédéric Courleux, agricultural engineer and director of studies for the Agriculture Strategies think-tank.

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  • Coronavirus
  • Economy
  • Agriculture and Fisheries

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