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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 […]

Center for Global Development published an article on recent work by Senior Research Fellow Xiaobo Zhang who is analyzing the toll COVID-19 is taking on small- and medium-sized businesses to ensure that policy measures are appropriately designed to meet their needs.   

New York Times published an article on US farm subsidies as part of the new federal relief bill. The bill allots as much as $23.5 billion in assistance to farmers, a key constituency of President Trump’s, in the middle of an election year. Senior Research Fellow Joseph Glauber stated that “Farmers in Midwestern states like Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota — as well […]

Dairy News (Russia) reported on the impact of Covid-19 on the world economy. The article quotes Division Director Rob Vos and Senior Research Fellows Will Martin and David Laborde in their blog post, How much will global poverty increase because of COVID-19? They predict three scenarios that would impact the global economy: labor shock, total factor productivity shock; and trade shock.