Ifpri Podcast

The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting pressures on public finances and donor resources are necessitating stark trade-offs among different policy priorities within the agriculture sector and across the food system. In what ways has the pandemic altered the balance of power among urban and rural populations, the state and private sector, and across government ministries? For example, are social protections and interventions to help heavily hit urban areas complementing or displacing government and donor investments in the agriculture sector? How are governments helping agri-businesses during this period, and which industries are prioritized for financial and other forms of state support? And are responses to COVID-19 fostering improved coherence across the food system to protect incomes, livelihoods, and food security, or leading to increased inter-governmental fractionalization around scarce resources? These are some of the considerations that decision makers must now confront. This s