Is the entire world bracing for a severe food crisis? Yes, it is. The warning has been issued by the heads of three global agencies that a potential worldwide food shortage if authorities fail to manage the ongoing corona virus crisis properly. Countries after one another are putting their populations behind lockdowns with a view to containing the spread of this deadly virus which has clearly disrupted trade and food supply chains. Pakistan's rural population which produces crops for the entire country has also been badly hit by the countrywide lockdowns.
"Uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating a shortage on the global market," according to the joint text signed by Qu Dongyu, head of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Roberto Azevedo, director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) published by newspapers yesterday.
Egypt, for example, is the largest importer of wheat in the world. It would find it extremely difficult to ensure supply of this key commodity to its people as some of the wheat exporting countries, including Russia, are now mulling over stock-piling their export stuff in order to meet their own people's rising demand due to the coronavirus spectre.