In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and other measures restricting the movements of people and goods led to disruptions in food value chains, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—quickly followed by a number of surprisingly rapid adaptations and innovations to keep food supplies flowing. What is the situation now, two years after the start of the pandemic?
Food value chains in LMICs have expanded and lengthened immensely in recent decades to serve rapidly growing cities while meeting rural demand. This made them more vulnerable to shocks— but rapid development in logistics, processing, and wholesale practices created more capacity to respond. As the pandemic has continued, innovations in e-commerce, worker benefits, and automation have helped to fill supply chain gaps.
Photo credit: Miklos Gaspar/IAEA
