COVID-19

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the most recently discovered coronavirus. The outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, has rapidly spread across the world, profoundly disrupting fundamental activities we all depend on, including agriculture and food systems – and endangering all those who depend on it as their livelihood.

The coronavirus pandemic is a global emergency affecting all countries, requiring immediate and sustained international action. While mitigating the terrible human and economic toll worldwide is rightly uppermost in our minds, we are also gravely concerned about the underlying problems this emergency exposes, especially for those most at risk for severe consequences – older people, poor households, the undernourished, and those who live in remote rural areas without access to services or help. These problems heighten the risks of the current pandemic and must not be neglected.

Some 736 million people currently live in extreme poverty, which is a root cause of many global problems, from ill health to social unrest to migration. Meanwhile, hunger was already on the rise for several years before the pandemic, devastating the lives of up to 828 million people, not only robbing them of a future but weakening their immunity and health – a more dangerous combination than ever in the present crisis. Food insecurity and poverty are most severe among rural marginalized groups, including women and youth.

There are worrying reports of COVID-19 taking hold among rural populations, where poverty, undernourishment and lack of access to essential healthcare make the population especially vulnerable Given that we focus on the poorest of the poor, we fear that the impact of COVID-19 on our beneficiary groups is likely to be especially pronounced.

Short-term crises can feed off long-term problems, gaps, underinvestment and vulnerabilities.

The spread of illness can devastate poor rural communities and small-scale food producers who already face challenges such as weak resilience, poor nutrition and limited access to resources and services. Many countries depend on these communities for their national food security. Nevertheless, the pandemic and related disruptions of trade, travel and markets could reduce food production and availability.

We have received multiple reports of supply chain interruptions affecting agricultural production in some of our beneficiary countries. At the same time, small-scale farmers, with the support of IFAD and governments, are proving key actors to guarantee access to food for local populations amid the disruptions food systems are suffering. More broadly, the crisis is expected to have profound effects on the global economy, which will certainly affect small-scale rural producers on a much broader scale.

Mitigating the effects of the outbreak involves delivering support directly to the populations who need it most.

Around 63 per cent of the world’s poorest people work in agriculture, the overwhelming majority on small farms. Most of the poorest, hungriest and most marginalized people live in rural areas, and that is where the development community now needs to focus its mid- to long-term efforts.

Key messages

  • COVID-19 is a global pandemic that is having tangible effects on the agriculture sector.
  • In addition to its potential health effects, COVID-19 threatens to profoundly affect the livelihoods of poor rural farmers who depend on agriculture.
  • Given that we focus on the poorest of the poor, we fear that the impact of COVID-19 on our beneficiary groups is likely to be especially pronounced.
  • Investments in rural agricultural programmes can help people become more self-reliant, mitigate the impact of severe events, increase rural prosperity, ensure more sustainable food systems and food security, and create greater resilience in fragile states. 
  • Economic growth in agriculture is two to three times more effective at reducing poverty and food insecurity than growth in other sectors. Investments in small-scale agriculture can help revive food production and create jobs following a crisis and enable rural communities to recover.

For the latest information on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), please refer to the World Health Organization.

In depth

In depth

IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility

Given the magnitude of the challenge presented by this crisis, IFAD has launched a multi-donor COVID-19 Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) to improve the resilience of rural livelihoods by ensuring timely access to inputs, information, markets and liquidity.

Stories and news

Stories and news

How diverse crops create a safety net for Solomon Islanders

May 2024 - STORY

Bringing back dietary diversity is crucial to building resilience and ensuring Solomon Islanders can always access enough nutritious food, even in times of crisis.

6 ways IFAD is helping to prevent the next pandemic

May 2024 - BLOG

Given the complex interconnections between the health of animals, people and the planet, how can we prepare ourselves for the next pandemic? Here’s how IFAD’s investments are helping.

2022: Resilience in the face of adversity

December 2022 - STORY

As we near the end of 2022, IFAD looks back on some of the themes that defined a year of dramatic change. 

Small-scale Farmers Developing Resilience to COVID-19 - Episode 18

March 2021 - PODCAST

In this episode, we bring you the latest on how small-scale farmers are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

New Frontiers in Sustainable Farming – Episode 15

December 2020 - PODCAST

In this episode, we say goodbye to a year that’s been full of uncertainty and change, but also adaptation, innovation and improvement.

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Related Publications

Related Publications

Supporting rural households during the pandemic: Results and evidence from IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility

July 2024

From a total of 64 RPSF projects, a sample of 13 projects were chosen to undergo a rapid assessment. Results indicate that the RPSF helped up to 2.9 million households maintain or increase many development and welfare indicators, including production, income and food security.

PIRAS Country Update: Samoa

February 2023

PIRAS supports COVID-19 food system and economic recovery. In it, PIRAS supports food production, post-harvest handling and market access.

PIRAS Country Update: Kiribati

December 2022

PIRAS supports COVID-19 food system and economic recovery. In Kiribati, PIRAS tackles water scarcity and food security for vulnerable rural farming households.
 

Crops View more link