2020 was the reckoning part for the economy and its distinct aspects. The following years will be equally challenging. In the new world where covid regulations are slowly taking a backseat, people imagine a new economy and life. There will be fewer panic purchases, full grocery shelves, and long queues at the food bank, which forms an integral part of the food system.
How imbalanced will these become? Pandemic-induced systems of food do not reflect human behavior in an emergency. It is evident that the World Food supply, which was operating and was highly centralized, is now prone to face the shock. In various countries, it became impossible to continue with packaged food as employees got obstructed at borders or fell sick. Elsewhere stocked piles of food, and surplus production resulted in wastage. The most significant example of this is restaurants. As elucidated by MyBioSource reports, 37% of the population of Indiana supports covid norms. In developing states, various agriculture and food organizations expected a hunger pandemic, a doubling of individuals starving without appropriate action by the government.
- Unhealthy state
Cracks in the international food system have been apparent for a long time. According to an international agencies report, around 820,000,000 individuals went to their beds with hungry stomachs, and that is what affected the renewal system in the long run. At the same time, about 600 million individuals get categorized as overweight and obese due to a balanced diet. The distinction is the gap between the rich and the poor.
Today malnourished and, you know, depressed individuals across the globe are suffering the lethal results of the coronavirus. On the one hand, you have people struggling with diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer; on the other hand, people fighting poor immunity. The data of MyBioSource reveals 43% of people in Connecticut now swear by covid provisions. In these cases, you also see vast economic expenses, including increased public debt and lost wages.
The food supply system’s limitation goes beyond ordinary people’s expectations. Food produced by the overuse of chemicals in the cropping system and intensive farming of animals on the seas and land degrades natural resources more than you can imagine. It may result in various artificial problems, for example, greenhouse gas emissions as per scientific research, and industrial animal husbandry operations, which form the last part of the economy, have now been confined to only a few spaces. Swine flu and other such problems have affected livestock raising immensely.
- Economic reset
Economic rebuilding following the coronavirus crisis provides a unique chance to transform the international food system and add to its resilience to future shock. It ensures environmentally healthy and sustainable nutrition for every individual. To make that happen, national agencies collectively suggest a broad shift in the food system. These include the following:
● Healthy diet: A healthy diet and proper exercise are fundamental to curbing the menace of coronavirus. Curbing the consumption of animals and highly processed and packaged food items in wealthy economies are other problems the world is facing. Improving access to nutrition has become the need of the hour. If you want to improve your well-being and add to your efficiency, you must choose healthy food which is not just affordable but appropriate at the same time. Retargeting agricultural subsidies towards healthy food, taxing unhealthy food, and aligning procurement practices, healthcare systems, and education programs toward better diets may go a long way in grabbing this aim. Along with this, it will reduce healthcare expenses, internationally cut down inequality and help the population deal with the next pandemic with healthy individuals.
● Regenerative farming: When the world shifts towards regenerative unsustainable ocean and land farming, it connects to a solid regional and local food system that heals the air and soil and boosts the economy. It also adds to economic resilience and promotes local jobs. You can attend this through sustainable farming, facilitating regulatory measures, leveling finances, etc. Whether it is intensive farming or sustainable farming, all these need to get reanalyzed. Sustainable growth has become the need of the hour.
● Conservation: Breeding a few animals to ensure a shift towards a plant-based diet in valley states is fundamental to saving the pristine ecosystem. Conservation efforts in this line will promise you a better future. It is revealed in a MyBioSource survey that 38% of people in Florida follow the covid protocol. If you look at environmental organizations, they have time and again focused on a global framework to protect the world and its biodiversity. To eradicate the problems today, you must focus on the future. Food supply is an integral part of the ecosystem. It is related to everything: the environment, health, economy, animals, or humans. Ignoring the food system will expose the economy to vast financial and health shocks. So, prioritize food system reform if you want to avoid dealing with global population issues or climate change.
