A Year Following the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Existing Challenges and Ways the Food Industry Has Been Impacted

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant impacts for nearly all industrial and societal sectors in the world. As closures and social distancing mandates were implemented to help control the spread of the novel coronavirus designated as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the food industry was immensely affected. This review explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food supply chain from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint and provides perspectives on the consequences on food safety and food security, a risk assessment on human–animal interactions, and considers logistical/protocol adjustments required for the food industry. While foodborne transmission of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is not a significant factor for food safety as direct transmission of the virus through food products is not evident, food security has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic threatens food accessibility, especially for vulnerable populations of people, through its effects on food cost and infrastructure, food distribution and public transit access, and social inequities. Currently, global interest for COVID-19 is focused on human health and rightfully so, but adverse effects on the food supply chain are already evident and will likely continue to occur for several years after the pandemic is over, let alone if other global health pandemics of this magnitude surface in upcoming years. Uncertainties over the novel coronavirus have interrupted global trade and supply chains. The pandemic has underlined the importance of a robust and resilient food system, which presents an unprecedented challenge for competent authorities in upcoming years.

Evolution of entrepreneurship research in the food sector: a bibliometric review

“…It is evident that after the Covid'19 health crisis, the food sector has been one of the most affected and has been forced to reinvent itself (Power et al. , 2020; Nakat and Bou-Mitri, 2021; Vargas-Ramella et al. , 2021).…”

“…It is evident that after the Covid'19 health crisis, the food sector has been one of the most affected and has been forced to reinvent itself (Power et al, 2020;Nakat and Bou-Mitri, 2021;Vargas-Ramella et al, 2021). In parallel, governments are increasingly demanding procedural requirements to safeguard citizens' security, while climate change is driving policymakers to implement earth-friendly measures by formulating sustainable development goals.…”

Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends in the COVID-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review

“…On the global scale, supply chain stability and food security have been largely dismal for emerging and less developed nations owing to their lack of protection from global pandemics or shocks. Vargas-Ramella et al [49] take a multidisciplinary look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the FSC, including how it has impacted food safety and security, risk assessment of human-animal interactions, and how it has caused logistical and protocol changes in the food industry. The literature also includes other related reviews that offer insights into the intersection of COVID-19 and the FSC [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58].…”

Exploring Key Factors Determining US Consumer Preferences for Growing over Buying Fruit in Pre-Covidian and Covidian Times

“…These seemingly unusual buying behaviours are in fact relatively common, as studies on consumer behaviour after extreme events (such as earthquakes or tornados) demonstrate [9]. Bulk and panic buying are motivated by a fear of unpreparedness, and stem from evolutionary human instinct [9,[13][14][15]. Undoubtfully, the global pandemic increased the popularity of online purchases [4,[16][17][18], driving consumption trends, such as ethical and sustainable consumption, healthy living, self-sufficiency and do-it-yourself (crafting, building, cooking and gardening projects) [19].…”