Event Summary
Munich Security Conference convenes Digital Conversation on COVID-19 and food security
In cooperation with the World Food Programme, the Munich Security Conference assembled senior decision-makers and experts for a virtual discussion on the effects of COVID-19 on food security. David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, gave a briefing on the state of play. The conversation was moderated by Boris Ruge, Vice-Chairman of the Munich Security Conference.
On May 7, 2020, the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), hosted an MSC Digital Conversation entitled "A Perfect Storm? – Food Security and COVID-19". David Beasley, Executive Director of the WFP, set out the dramatic effects of COVID-19 on food security worldwide as well as priorities for action, with high-ranking representatives from governments, international organizations, the private sector, media, NGOs and academia.
During the discussion, participants highlighted that while COVID-19 itself poses a grave and immediate threat to human lives, the secondary and tertiary effects of the pandemic may prove to be even more devastating. Food insecurity is one of the biggest concerns in this regard: Driven by a combination of factors – including conflict, climate change, and economic downturns – food insecurity was already on the rise pre-COVID-19. While approximately 821 million people worldwide go to bed hungry every night, 135 million people are currently facing severe levels of hunger. Unfortunately, this trend may accelerate rapidly unless immediate action is taken now: By the end of 2020, the number of acutely food insecure people may double to 265 million, due to the pandemic and its knock-on effects in some of the world's most fragile countries.
Participants stressed that due to economic deterioration, disrupted production and supply chains, price spikes, and loss of livelihood and remittances, the COVID-19 health pandemic could evolve to a severe hunger pandemic with the number of fatalities caused by starvation far higher than deaths by the virus itself. So far, less than 300,000 people worldwide have died of the virus. WFP supports 100 million people with food assistance, out of which 30 million depend solely on the organization for their survival. WFP estimates that 300,000 people could die every day from hunger if adequate funding is not received, or if supply chains for this severely endangered group were to break down, for the length of three months.
If leaders don’t thread that needle right and balance the lockdowns, trade restrictions, border closures, et cetera, we’re going to have massive problems.David Beasley•Executive Director of the World Food Programme
Upholding global food security during the pandemic is one of the most urgent tasks for national governments, the private sector, and the international community at large, necessitating cooperation across sectors and borders. One participant stressed that governments have to balance health demands with upholding market systems and food supply chains. Another participant argued that companies across the globe must keep in mind the macroeconomic effects of economic shutdowns if they decide to stop or reduce activities: A reduction of global economic activity by only 10 percent would have very serious effects on food security.
As COVID-19 exposes pre-existing weaknesses of the international food system, conflict-torn regions are especially vulnerable to the resulting consequences: hunger, social instability, and political unrest. Further, participants discussed the informality of many affected countries' labor markets and underlined the importance of tailoring the crisis response accordingly – inter alia by involving actors invested in local communities. In this context, access to markets for small-holder farmers is also critical. Participants agreed that links between food insecurity and conflict must be kept in mind and urgent action taken to prevent an imminent hunger crisis from spinning out of control as the pandemic unfolds.
About the "MSC Digital Conversations"
The MSC has set itself the task of making the COVID-19-pandemic the focus of its activities for the immediate future. In the coming weeks and months, the MSC will be staging a series of high-level events called "MSC Digital Conversations" to examine the security implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and promote dialogue between high-ranking representatives from government, academia, NGOs, international organizations and the private sector. MSC Digital Conversations are typically small, confidential meetings under Chatham House Rule. Selected events will be open to the public. Several Digital Conversations will take place each month. Questions regarding these and other events can be sent to office@securityconference.de.
The MSC has acknowledged early on that local health issues have the potential to evolve into full-fledged international security crises. Aware of the need for international action, the MSC partnered with the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Chatham House, and Merck, to promote the discussion and collaboration between health officials, NGO leaders, security strategists, the private sector, and decision-makers. Within its Human Security Series, the MSC has been organizing events and conferences on health-related challenges since 2016. Moreover, health security has become an integral part of the MSC's annual conference in Munich as well as its Core Group Meetings. Additionally, a chapter in the annual Munich Security Report regularly focuses on health security issues.
