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1 1 (June 15, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdcxz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.ri E.$~ & June 15, 2020 COVID-19 and Global Food Security: Issues for Congress Some Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in global food security, including how the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may affect global food security needs in 2020. Some policymakers are examining whether existing U.S. global food security programs are sufficient to meet potentially increased needs. They are also considering what legislative changes, if any, might help address the emerging global food assistance challenges caused by COVID-19. Food security generally refers to individuals' ability to access food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs to lead a safe and healthy life. Global food security worsened in 2019, according to the Global Network Against Food Crises and Food Security Information Network's Global Report on Food Crises 2020, which relied on data collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimated number of acutely food-insecure people totaled 135 million in 2019, an increase of 22 million from 2018. (Acute food insecurity occurs when food deficits immediately endanger individuals' lives or livelihoods.) This deterioration reflects continued widespread conflict and health crises, and an increase in severe natural disasters like drought, hurricanes, and pest infestations. In addition to the acutely food insecure, the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that millions more experienced hunger, including chronic food insecurity, undernutrition, and malnutrition (821 million people experienced hunger in 2018; complete data for 2019 are not yet available). Ef~ze t s of C 0V , Research suggests the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the lack of consistent access to enough food both in already vulnerable populations and in previously food secure populations. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) estimates that up to 265 million people may face acute food insecurity by the end of 2020, a 96% increase from its 2019 estimate. Research suggests that COVID-19 is constraining access to food for some populations, primarily through supply chain disruptions and declining household purchasing power. The FAO projects that global supplies of staple commodities, such as wheat and rice, will remain stable. However, social distancing and movement restrictions have resulted in supply chain disruptions, such as delays at ports and border crossings, and migrant workers being unable to travel for harvesting and food- processing work. Commodities such as fruits, vegetables, and fish are more perishable and labor-intensive than staple commodities, and thus more susceptible to transportation and labor force disruptions. COVID-19 is also causing widespread job and income losses, largely due to movement restrictions and slowing economies. As incomes decline, remittances, a key source of income for many poor households in some countries, are also expected to fall. Increased health care and sanitation costs related to COVID-19 may further strain household food budgets. Displaced populations and populations in conflict areas that were already struggling to access food before COVID-19 will be more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and movement restrictions. Experts anticipate that these and other factors will negatively affect the ability of many households to afford food, driving up acute food insecurity in 2020. Some foreign governments and multilateral institutions are providing financial or other assistance to mitigate the food insecurity impacts of COVID-19. For example, some governments, such as those of Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, and Nigeria, have instituted cash transfer and food aid programs for their citizens. In addition, the World Bank and WFP are providing cash transfers and food aid to vulnerable populations. WFP has also transitioned many of its school meal programs to provide take home rations, and it is reinforcing its stocks of pre-positioned food at storage hubs around the world to prepare for a potential need to further scale up food aid. U,S r<lk Congress funds a range of international food assistance programs that may be used to address global food security needs through annual Agriculture and Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) implement international food assistance programs. USAID provides emergency food assistance through the Food for Peace Title II Program (Title II) and the Emergency Food Security Program (EFSP). USDA administers the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT), a reserve of funds that can supplement emergency assistance in years with unanticipated food assistance needs. USDA also administers nonemergency food assistance through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition (McGovern-Dole), and Food for Progress (FFPr) programs. In FY2020, Congress provided more than $4 billion for these and other related food assistance programs, compared with $4.6 billion in FY2019. (For an overview of U.S. international food assistance programs, see CRS Report R45422, U.S. International Food Assistance: An Overview.) Both USAID and USDA have sought to adapt their international food assistance programs in response to growing food insecurity amidst COVID-19. USAID has targeted its emergency food assistance not only to countries already receiving food assistance that saw their needs increase, but also countries that previously did not receive K~:> mppm qq\ p\w gn'a', ggmm a 'S I 11LULANJILiN,

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