Consider flow of food supply

WHILE everyone’s attention is on putting an end to the spread of coronavirus and from entering our country, care should be taken to minimise potential impacts on the food supply or unintended consequences on global trade and food security.
The World Health Organisation is also reminding countries that while acting to protect the health and well-being of their citizens, governments should ensure that any trade-related measures do not disrupt the food supply chain.
Such disruptions including hampering the movement of food and extending border delays for food containers, result in the spoilage of perishables and increasing food waste.
Such reactions can alter the balance between food supply and demand, resulting in price spikes and increased price volatility.
Food trade restrictions could also be linked to unjustified concerns on food safety.
We already have the president of farmers and settlers association calling on the Government to look beyond the health aspect and the security and law and order issues during the state of emergency period to assess our own food security issues.
Today, our trading partners have established their own protocols on movement of transport into their ports.
Some have restrictions for 30 days or more or less while in PNG is for 14 days which could be extended.
Uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating a shortage on the global market.
There is a fairytale that PNG has plenty of land and food including access but that may not be the case.
People on the coast may have marine produce but also face shortage of sago, kaukau, taro etc. or other protein sources.
In the Highlands, people look after pigs which are often slaughtered on special occasions and does not cater for daily protein requirements.
This lockdown is the perfect opportunity to assess where certain fruit, vegetables and livestock and marine products are available and who is buying them and moving to the consolidation sheds or sold directly to markets.
In the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, every effort should be made to ensure that trade flows as freely as possible, specially to avoid food shortage.
If such a scenario were to materialise, it would disrupt the food supply chain, with particularly pronounced consequences for the most vulnerable and food insecure populations.
PNG has been subjected to various incursions by pest and diseases that ultimately caused havoc on agricultural production and threatening food security and export revenue.
This bio-security threats and the current coronavirus poses a major risk to the majority of the people of PNG who rely on Agriculture and Livestock, where 85 per cent of the people engage as smallholder farmers by using 97 per cent of total land area being customary.
Now is the time to show solidarity, act responsibly and adhere to the common goal of enhancing food security, food safety and nutrition and improving the general welfare of our people.
We commend the Government on the 14-day SOE and the restrictions imposed so our health risks can be assessed.
While the health, safety and security of the people of PNG is paramount, we should ensure that our response to Covid-19 does not unintentionally create unwarranted shortages or cut off families’ financial powers to essential food items and worsen hunger and malnutrition.
Food is a basic need.