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The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented stresses on food supply chains, with bottlenecks in farm labour, processing, transport and logistics, as well as momentous shifts in demand. Most of these disruptions are a result of policies adopted to contain the spread of the virus.

Food supply chains have demonstrated a remarkable resilience in the face of these stresses. Grocery store shelves have been replenished over time, as stockpiling behaviour disappeared and as supply chains responded to increased demand. Long lines at borders shrank quickly in response to policies to alleviate unnecessary restrictions. While the impacts of COVID-19 are still unfolding, experience so far shows the importance of an open and predictable international trade environment to ensure food can move to where it is needed. The biggest risk for food security is not with food availability but with consumers’ access to food: safety nets are essential to avoid an increase in hunger and food insecurity.

The Technical Working Group on Supply Chain Food Processing (TWGSCFP) helps enhance national food security preparedness in terms of availability, access, consumption and stability and sustainability which are of national strategic importance especially in times of crises.

TWGSCFP will pursues initiatives to resolve policy and regulatory issues and to boost the efficiency, adaptability and flexibility of the supply chain players in relation to the processes of food production, processing, distribution, retailing and consumption.