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Global Edition – China Daily published an op-ed by Emeritus Senior Fellow Shenggen Fan. The op-ed encourages people and communities not to panic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panic hurts the poor and it is with global collaboration by the UN as well as international organizations, institutions, multilateral development banks, donors and civil society that will help solve food insecurity in […]

Global Open Data reported on the impact of COVID-19 on poverty. According to IFPRI, the global poverty is likely to rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The preliminary results from the study show that overall, the world economic growth rate has already fallen 1%, compared to a similar period in the previous year. This would translate to an increase […]

Bonn Sustainability Portal reported on the fight against coronavirus and how it affects global food supply? Simulations by IFPRI show the possible effects of a global economic downturn on poverty and food insecurity. The numbers are alarming if the crisis persists for an extended period. The 1% decline in global growth is associated with a 2% increase in poverty, […]

ScienceNet.com (China) published an article about restricting food trade. Many experts said that global food stocks are sufficient, but with the spread of the epidemic, international food market trends should be closely monitored, and export restrictions are completely unnecessary. Emeritus Research FellowShenggen Fan believes that the ban may be out of psychological panic. More information from the IFPRI blog, COVID-19: Trade restrictions […]

LiveMint published an op-ed by Dean Niraj Kumar (Development Management Institute, Patnaand) and Research Fellow Anjani Kumar on the impact COVID-19 is having on agriculture. A payment of Rs. 2,000 to Indian farmers by April is a welcome step. However, considering the losses to the farmers, it’s a paltry amount. We need to make arrangements to ensure the continuance of agricultural operations, […]

Boston Magazine (USA) published an article about food supplies and how damaging the impact of COVID-19 could become. Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division Director Rob Vos expects to see “possible shortages for fresh fruits and vegetables, as these are labor-intensive in harvesting, handling and distribution and hence could be affected by labor shortages … and social distancing requirements. These activities […]

Capital Public Radio (USA) published an article about possible food shortages. The interview cited from the IFPRI research blog, As COVID-19 spreads, no major concern for global food security yet by Division Director Rob Vos and Senior Research Fellows Will Martin, and David Laborde that stated there are enough stores of staple items globally to prevent shortages. Even in China, food supplies have remained adequate, with some stress on poultry and pork supply […]

Politico reported on the US Federal Relief Bill that would give farms about 23 million. Senior Research Fellow Joseph Glauber stated that the stimulus funds, trade aid, and traditional farm subsidies could total around $50 billion in fiscal 2020 alone. “Unprecedented to say the least. I am not sure how you would separate out price impacts from COVID-19 versus other market […]

ScienceNet (China Science Daily) reported on recent export restrictions many countries have in place. Are these restrictions necessary and is there enough food? In fact, food is enough. Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division Director Rob Vos has long tracked and monitored the global food market. He and several colleagues published the blogpost, COVID-19: Trade restrictions are worst possible response to […]

Digital Chicago Tribune reported on more subsidies coming the way of farmers in the new federal relief bill. As much as $23.5 billion in assistance for farmers is in the bill. According to Senior Research Fellow Joseph Glauber, farmers in Midwestern states as well as in Texas and Kansas reaped much of the $26 billion spent in the past two years to blunt […]