by COVID-19

malnutrition from crop failures could increase with climate change (IFPRI 2019). The noncommunicable diseases (for example, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes) arising from overweight have also been identified as risk factors associated with the severity of covID-19 infection (uN 2020). The region’s success in addressing this “triple burden of malnutrition” will strongly enhance its human development progress as well as mitigate its future public health costs (World Bank 2019a). Moreover, investments in human capital have become more important as the nature of work has evolved. By improving health, in addition to skills, knowledge, and resilience, people can be more productive and innovative (World Bank 2018).

WEAKNESSES IN EAST ASIA’S AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS EXPOSED BY COVID-19

The impacts of covID-19 on the world’s agri-food systems will last beyond the current crisis. The resilience of agri-food systems to future pandemics and external shocks, including climate change, needs to be improved. As governments rushed to minimize the movement and interaction of citizens to slow down transmission of the virus, the resulting restrictions together with the disease incidence resulted in disruptions in the food chain. Labor shortages at farms, the agri-food industry, logistics, and customs have constrained the movement and availability of food and agricultural production inputs and services.10 Logistics disruptions of food and input supply chains have restricted the availability and access to food for consumers, which in some cases has led to local shortages and price hikes at a time when producers are experiencing declining farm gate prices and losses of food they are not able to sell (FAo 2020; Pwc and FIA 2020). Lower incomes related to lockdowns have already resulted in shifts in consumer behavior and food consumption,11 with repercussions for livestock production, food markets, and food loss and waste (Economist 2020; Pwc and FIA 2020; World Bank 2020).

The covID-19 crisis has underscored the urgency of addressing the region’s existing food and nutrition challenges in a sustainable manner. countries in East Asia and Pacific already face significant long-term food and nutrition security challenges from multiple demand- and supply-side constraints. The covID-19 crisis could offer a window of opportunity for governments in the region to prioritize increasing the resilience of agri-food systems as part of the economic recovery. Taking advantage of this opportunity would, however, require governments to recognize the profound changes taking place in the supply of and demand for food in the region. The region’s success in facing these unprecedented challenges relies on turning these changes into the foundations of a sustainable agri-food system. on the demand side, the covID-19 pandemic is reinforcing changes in consumer purchasing habits that were developing before the crisis. Evidence indicates the consumption of products of animal origin has declined because of fears associated with zoonotic contamination and the demand for plant-based proteins and immunity-enhancing foods (for example, vitamin-fortified food and drinks) has increased (IFPRI 2020; Pwc and FIA 2020). The overall drive toward convenience and safety (and, in the covID-19 context, containment) has

stimulated greater demand for packaged foods, e-commerce, and more direct sourcing and delivery of food. Although some segments of the population may generate preferences for higher-quality fresh ingredients, others may stay with lower-cost products they relied on during the crisis (Pwc and FIA 2020). The biggest impact is likely to be on the online food delivery market and the use of e-commerce platforms. For more details on e-commerce and nutrition, see chapter 5. on the supply side, the covID-19 pandemic has stimulated interest in more consolidated and traceable food chains, in urban farming (including in vertical farming), and in technologies that reduce reliance on labor. The disruptions in the food chain have given rise to an increase in sourcing from a more diverse supplier base as well as urban farming ventures. Such efforts can reduce the exposure of retailers and buyers to disruptions in individual geographic locations or products (that is, buyers engage with a larger number of smaller operations that produce a variety of products, or with local urban producers). Such engagement, however, requires building closer relationships with producers, especially smallholders, and building their capacity to produce (for example, through access to innovation, e-extension and other services, quality and safety standards, skills) and deliver at scale (for example, collective action, storage solutions, overcoming logistics bottlenecks, traceability). Labor shortages caused by disease incidence, lockdown conditions, and mass exodus of migrant laborers, as experienced in Malaysia and Thailand, have created interest in automation and e-services. Investments in “Industry 4.0” technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to reduce dependence on on-site operational workers are likely to increase in response (for details, see chapter 5) (Economist 2020; Pwc and FIA 2020). Greater demand for sustainable and safe livestock production that does not increase the risk of zoonotic outbreaks or of foodborne diseases also requires greater research and development efforts and innovation in parallel with improvements in veterinary services, animal health, and modern food safety regulations and enforcement mechanisms.

The disruptions in the food chain highlight the need for enhancing the resilience of agri-food systems, supported by a holistic approach to the prevention, control, and recovery of EIDs and zoonoses. Recognition of the interrelatedness of the respective health domains and of the risks that zoonotic diseases pose to public health has led to appeals for more horizontal interaction among the disciplines and the sector agencies, departments, and ministries that are responsible for public health, medical professions, veterinary services, and the environment. A crucial element is to prevent and minimize the local and global impact of epidemics and pandemics through a holistic food systems lens, integrating food and nutrition security dimensions intimately correlated to health issues. This undertaking requires the collaborative efforts of human, animal, and wildlife health experts; environmental experts; and food safety regulators, among others (WHo, n.d.; World Bank 2020).

Several international and national approaches to managing EIDs have generated useful lessons for East Asian countries. The approaches (one Health, among others), organized around the pillars of prevention, detection, response, and recovery, are summarized in table B.1 in appendix B. The lessons converge on several issues, including the range of human activity driving EIDs: hunting and the selling of wildlife in markets; keeping livestock in unsanitary conditions