Connor Ahrendt

Global Food Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 and the Ukraine War on Foodways and Health

Course: Foundations of Health and Healing Professor: Alice Baldwin-Jones Student: Connor Ahrendt Essay: Global Food Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 and the Ukraine War on Foodways and Health

Assignment:

For this assignment, students were asked to research the global food crisis, focusing on converging disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. Research included assigned readings, educational videos and group discussion.

The Covid-19 pandemic affected the entire world. According to the article by Lawrence Haddad and Saskia Osendarp, it created three different crises in the world, an economic crisis, food system crisis, and a health crisis. The article calls this a triple threat that has had a significant impact on nutrition. There has been a limited supply of food and a rise in costs for what is available. World hunger has been on the decline for the last decade. Unfortunately, the covid pandemic has caused a steady increase again. Of course, the main focus was on trying to avoid getting the virus and surviving the crisis. However, people in the United States have no idea of the actual impact the pandemic has had on World Hunger. According to David Beasley, the director of the World Food Program, hunger rose 18 percent during the pandemic. Grocery prices have risen 8.6 percent over the past year. The Forbes article discussed the food chain disruption in great detail. It explained how limited workers and those available were at risk for covid. Food distribution was affected, and therefore food was not being processed. Meat plants closed, many animals were slaughtered due to lack of distribution, crops rotted, and packaging was hit hard. Food banks were low, and people at the poverty level were left starving. The United States was also affected. Many people lost their jobs and were faced with severe physical and mental health issues. It is true that many people did not have enough food to feed their families. The low-income levels were hit the hardest. Luckily the majority of the middle and upper class were concerned over the low supply of just certain items like toilet paper, but that pales compared to the people who were starving. Our country does waste a tremendous amount of food. It is so sad to think of how much food gets thrown away in a local restaurant on any given evening. There needs to

The economic crisis also affected many people. The lockdown forced many businesses to close their doors, losing tremendous amounts of money. Companies had to fire and lay off many employees. Other companies offered the same employment for a lesser amount of money. Companies that stayed open either ran a skeleton crew or had their employees work from home. Many individuals were afraid to leave their homes and report to work. Transportation of products slowed down and created shortages in all markets, not only the food supply. The cost went up on items ranging from lumber to food. A shortage of health supplies created an even bigger problem. Hospitals were faced with a steady flow of patients. There was not enough PPE for the workers and not enough supplies for the sick. The health crisis affected everyone worldwide, rich or poor. There was no escaping the virus. The news kept reporting information that was changing all the time. People were unsure of what to believe. Clearly, we were not prepared for a crisis of this magnitude. As if things weren’t bad enough, now we are all dealing with the war between Ukraine and Russia. We are lucky that we are not part of the actual war, but it still affects the world as a whole. The consequences of the war are affecting everyone. The economy was just starting to settle down, and now it is out of control again! The economy is hurting for many reasons. The United States has seen a rise in the cost of gas and food prices. Products cannot be bought, sold, or transported from that area. This problem is affecting many businesses that are just starting to get back on their feet. The food system is facing an even bigger problem than it already had. The NY Times article discussed how crops of wheat, barley, and corn from Ukraine and Russia are being destroyed or wasted due to a lack of transportation. Fertilizer is also a leading product that is not able to be transported. Russia is blocking the Black Sea, and Ukraine does not have enough railcars for alternate transportation. Russia has had many sanctions placed on them, and they are at a standstill in many ways. Russia is financially blocked, and Ukraine is physically blocked. Crops that cannot be transported due to the war are creating havoc on the food industry and World Hunger. Countries can’t buy the fertilizer to grow their crops, while others can’t purchase crops from countries that they rely on for their food source. Russia is financially ruined due to the sanctions that have been placed on them. The lack of proper nutrition is putting many people at risk of starving to death and contracting numerous diseases. Low-income countries are facing a greater need for healthcare assistance. Ukraine has faced an incredible loss of life and severe physical and mental damage to its civilians. The effects of this war will be felt long after the fighting stops. The covid 19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine have made us all realize how one country’s actions can affect the entire world. People are also becoming more aware of the issues that foreign countries face and the depth of their hardships. Maybe we can all walk away from this with respect for one another. It has indeed shown us that many of our systems need to be improved, and money needs to be directed towards what is most needed. Russia has gone to war with Ukraine, but it is affecting all of us. Most people probably never realized the impact this war would have on the entire world. Hopefully, we will see an end to this war and the covid pandemic, and we can all try to rebuild a better future for us all.