Pathogens and produce: how COVID-19 shook the global food supply chain

Has the United States’ response to the global COVID-19 pandemic proven just how insecure its food supply chain is? Among other countries around the globe, the United States has become an example for why the current agriculture industry has created an unsustainable system that falls apart when put under stress. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, food supply chains have become increasingly strained to the point of near collapse. Similarly, factory farm practices increase the risk for food security and increase the risk of the emergence of a new infectious disease. While boasting many benefits to humanity, industrial agriculture and the modern food supply chain in its current form pose a serious national security threat to not only the United States but the entire global system. Other more sustainable farming practices and food supply chain avenues must therefore be explored and adopted widely, in order to boost food security.

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Grocery stores like never before: life with COVID-19

Many people across the world are now required to live in unprecedented ways. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. With the ever-present threat of COVID-19 looming over populations across the world, it makes sense that life would be different for everyone. As this global pandemic spreads, much of the United States is under lockdown along with other countries around the world. With this lockdown people have been advised to self-isolate and only travel outside their homes for necessities. This “state of crisis” has people stocking up on foods and other essentials such as toilet paper. This raises the question, are people overreacting, and perhaps buying in too large of quantities? If people continue reacting to this pandemic the way they initially have things will only get worse for the general public.

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COVID-19 drives global hunger as the pandemic threatens food aid distribution

Hundreds of millions of people will go hungry tonight.  There is more than enough food produced to feed the world but it isn’t being distributed to those who need it.  The industrialization of our agricultural system has led to massive inequities in both food production and consumption.  These problems have only been exacerbated by the current global pandemic and the stress it’s bringing to the system.  To remedy these discrepancies, there must be a massive restructuring of our global conceptualization of agriculture and our food supply chains.  

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Biodiversity and COVID-19: is the coronavirus pandemic really the “great equalizer”?

Our farming economy in the United States is heavily reliant on corn, and this makes us more vulnerable  to climate change and to the coronavirus. Our ability to access a greater diversity of crops during this crisis is paramount to our health and the health of the Earth. However, access to healthy foods, especially during the pandemic, is a luxury of the wealthy. This pandemic highlights inequalities in our society that impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans.

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