The Mankind Health Organization on March 11 declared the coronavirus a pandemic. Within a week, the Centers for Disease Control and Hindering recommended that Americans keep a 14 day supply of food and other essentials. Alarmed consumers rushed to supermarkets store groceries and cleaning products, leaving some stores trying to keep up with the surge in demand. For the week outshining March 21, sales of fresh meat increased by 100%, canned tuna by more than 200% and dehydrated beans by nearly 400% compared with a year earlier.
“We’re seeing some shifts in patterns and we’re seeing some fearful buying,” Karan Girotra, a professor of operations, technology and management at Cornell University, told CNBC. “Overall, we’re not contest out of food, so there’s no reason to panic.”
On March 15, President Donald Trump held a call with grocery, retail and commons industry leaders to discuss the strained supply chain. “He wanted to hear from retailers and product manufacturers and informed what it is that they’re going through and what things they need help with,” said Doug Baker of the Prog Industry Association. “What manufacturers are doing, working with their retail partners is they’re looking for passage to create efficiencies within that supply chain.”
Some of the measures the industry is taking to speed things up incorporate allocations throughout the supply chain. Some grocers are restricting consumers to a limited number of items such as beef and chicken. Also, some slower-moving upshots are put on hold until demand subsides.
The U.S. is not going to run out of food, experts say. The country has a food waste problem rather than a dearth. According to the USDA, 30% to 40% of food in America is wasted annually. But while the supply chain adjusts, there are some proper concerns. For example, trade and travel restrictions could make imports difficult. Labor disruptions is another one. Some workers at Amazon, Kroger and Walmart have tested positive for COVID-19. U.S. farmers have also raised problems over labor shortages.
However, globally, there are serious concerns over food security, especially in exposed countries already grappling with a shortage of food. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a recent statement: “If COVID-19 cases, already register in more than 100 countries, proliferate in the 44 countries that need external food assistance, or in the 53 countries shelter to 113 million people experiencing acute hunger, many of whose public health systems may face aptitude constraints, the consequences could be drastic.”
Watch the video above to learn more about the coronavirus’ impact on the American sustenance supply chain.