In the first part of 2020, markets, both domestic and global, are once more facing significant challenges
due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and to the restrictions on people’s movement and international travel
that were imposed to contain its spread.
The pandemic and its impact on the global economy are expected to affect trade considerably. The WTO
suggested that world merchandise trade would plummet by 13–32 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic
disrupting economic activities.
Governments and the private sector are attaching high priority to keeping food value chains alive and
functioning amid movement restrictions. Efforts are being made to link food production areas with urban
centres through special channels (following safety measures, such as testing, physical distancing and
other hygienic practices) to accelerate the delivery of perishable and nutritious foods to affected
populations.
At the global level, policy-makers in many major food exporting countries committed not to impose
restrictive trade measures, such as export bans, to ensure that trade could continue to move food and
agricultural products from surplus to deficit regions, thus promoting food security globally.
