San Jose, August 10, 2020 (IICA) — Most family farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean, who play a key role in ensuring food security, are operating with limited protective gear and sanitary protocols at the height of COVID-19 and facing limitations while trying to sell their products. This, coupled with the reduced purchasing power of consumers, is affecting production and will have an impact on the supply of basic goods.
These were the conclusions of a survey by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), administered to 118 family farming specialists from 29 countries. The survey identified three main difficulties: lack of protective gear; transportation and distribution challenges caused by travel restrictions; and limited access to credit.
“The survey is an extremely accurate snapshot of the family farming sector during this particularly challenging time. These are policies for a strategic sector that should be a priority,” said Mario León, the survey coordinator. IICA’s Director General Manuel Otero stressed: “As we look beyond the pandemic, we must establish agriculture as a sector that will be key to economic reactivation. Thus, it will be imperative that we enhance the performance of family farming and the short circuit trade of food products.”