Preparing for the Food and Nutrition Security Impacts of COVID-19
May 26, 2020
On May 26, 2020, almost 350 stakeholders participated in Preparing for the Food and Nutrition Security Impacts of COVID-19–a technical webinar co-hosted by CARE Canada and FAO North America.
Participants harkened from youth and indigenous communities, academia and think tanks, government and multilateral agencies, parliaments and civil society organizations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
The purpose of the discussion was to harvest stakeholder perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities for protecting people from food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19, and for building more resilient and inclusive food systems through efforts to recover from the pandemic.
Several points of commonality between speakers included:
- COVID-19 is a health crisis, with deep social and economic impacts.
- COVID-19’s impacts on food and nutrition security observe no borders.
- Poor and vulnerable people will suffer first, and worst.
- Women and girls are on the front lines of this crisis.
- Solutions must begin at the local-level, and be informed by stakeholders from civil society, academia and affected communities.
- Policy responses must be underpinned by evidence, and integrate climate considerations throughout.
- Canada can play a leading role in protecting food systems from COVID impacts, and helping communities around the world recover better, greener and more inclusively.
Featured Speakers
The Honourable Mike Lake
MP for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin and Conservative Shadow Minister for International Development
Máximo Torero Cullen
Chief Economist and Assistant Director-General, FAO
Rene Vanderpoel
Chief of Party, CARE Honduras
Silvia Sarapura
Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph
Hugo Beauregard-Langelier
Secrétaire Général, UPA Développement International, Économiste Agricole
Gisele Yasmeen
Executive Director, Food Secure Canada
Virginie Levasseur
Direc trice du programme Afrique, SOCODEVI, and Co-Chair Food Security Policy Group
Claude Beausejour
Director General, Global Affairs Canada
Welcoming remarks:
Vimlendra Sharan
Director, Liaison Office for North America, FAO
Closing remarks:
Jessie Thomson
Vice President, International Programs, CARE Canada
Moderator:
Gregory Spira
Head of Food Systems and Resilience Programs, CARE Canada