What COVID-19 Means For our Food Supply Chain

More than ever, we see the impact that fresh and versatile food has on our daily lives. From going out to our favourite restaurants to selecting delicious ingredients to make food at home, we are conditioned to seek comfort, convenience, and variety. Although the idea of having fresh fruits and vegetables within easy reach is exciting, those fantasies may no longer be a reality for a period of time. The global pandemic is causing many disruptions in our food supply chain, impacting farmers, restaurants, and consumers. More importantly, it's astonishing how social distancing, in particular, is breaking the ecosystem built to preserve all supply chain procedures. In this article, I will outline how the current disruption in farming practices has resulted in unfavorable circumstances for the restaurant and supermarket industry. I will conclude by discussing the importance of human interaction in these industries and what this means for us, consumers.

Understanding the impact on Restaurant Industry with Irregular Farming Practices

The restaurant industry is one of many industries impacted by the pandemic. Despite the current challenges, restaurants will continue to face problems with their food sourcing until the end of the year. The challenge will be upheld even if "social distancing" is no longer required. Restaurants source their food in many ways. In most cases, their food is sourced from distributors like Sysco, a company that plays a similar role as a grocery store delivery system for restaurants. However, restaurants these days are working directly with local butchers, bakers, and organic farms to source their foods and are more interested in quality than price. This is where the problem resides- farming. Without having workers on the field, purchasing equipment, and growing seasonal crops, many restaurants will not have access to essential ingredients. Restaurants will have a limited selection of produce to order if there are disruptions in a farmers annual practice. For this reason, owners are required to pay higher prices for food to sustain their business. Additionally, international farmers will face similar problems with import restrictions, which will continue to escalate the issue of food scarcity. As a result, restaurants will incur higher expenses for products and fewer food supply imports. For consumers, this will mean costly and limited selection menu items until we observe recovery in the economy.

Understanding the impact on supermarkets with irregular farming practices

In recent weeks, many of us were shocked upon entering any grocery store. It was abnormal and disturbing to see the empty shelves and people panic buying. However, it's essential to keep in mind that these shortages are caused by bottlenecks in the supply chain, not a lack of food. This means that the items we are all scrambling to purchase will never "run out," like many believe to be the case. Instead, people must understand that it is just going to take longer than usual to re-stock the shelves. It's best to imagine the supply chain process as a network, rather than a physical chain. If one pathway in the network is broken, there are alternative paths to complete the job. However, this process is more time-consuming, resulting in a significant slowdown in the Canadian supermarket industry. Along with the slowdown in the supply chain, import restrictions currently in place are adding to the scarcity of food times. As a result, there are empty shelves in supermarkets, thus decreasing their overall profit. This is one reason why we see many supermarkets lowering wages and laying-off employees. With the unemployed population currently in the market, an important question arises:

Can the unemployed work to help farmers?

The short answer to this question is that farming requires skilled labor to accomplish any task. Therefore, not everyone who is unemployed is qualified to fulfill the duties and help farmers with their daily tasks. If there is a shortage of farmers, and the unemployed cannot help, another backup plan is for international farmers to assist in the supply chain procedures. In the agricultural industry, many international workers seek employment in North America to reap economic benefits. However, since visa interviews cannot be conducted in person, there are many complications currently involved with workers obtaining a visa and entering the country. This leaves many farmers under pressure to create a new plan and adjust their priorities to ensure safe and ethical practices.

That being said, we can see how the food supply chain and the role of farmers goes to emphasize the power of human connection. Without face-to-face interactions, many industries that are essential for human survival, such as farming, will be destroyed. Human connection is a gift we all share. One should never take it for granted. From the festivals we attend to the unique interactions we have with our friends, family, and community, every moment unites us as one grounded family. Through our interactions, we learn, grow, laugh, cry, and, most importantly, empower one another to evolve in this world together. Living in the age of technology, we neglect the moments we could have with people in person due to the convenience of a quick FaceTime or Skype call. However, human interaction is much more than just communicating. It's about our deep passion for showing love, kindness, and gratitude for someone's presence.