Webinar – Life for smallholders during COVID-19

The global disruption from COVID-19, including to the health and livelihoods of so many, has been profound. Within the context of smallholder production systems these impacts are already being seen, with rapid changes to supply, demand and support services for farmers. However, exactly how these impacts are being realised are likely to be very varied across the different sectors and geographies in developing countries.

ACIAR recently published ‘Food systems security, resilience and emerging risks in the Indo-Pacific in the context of COVID-19: a rapid assessment’; the first assessment in a series planned over the coming months. This report outlines 10 areas which have had serious impacts arising from COVID-19. Additionally, further impacts are being seen by in-country research teams, with some very specific and sometimes unexpected changes to food systems in the Indo-Pacific.

RAID held a webinar on 27 August titled ‘Life for smallholders during COVID-19’ which was facilitated by Jack Hetherington. Panelists included:

• George Chapman, RAID Committee Member and an author on the ACIAR COVID-19 ‘Rapid Assessment’ Report.
• Nguyen Thi Duong Nga, Associate Professor in Agricultural Economics at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), who spoke about pork value chains in Vietnam.
• Vyta W. Hanifah, Researcher in the Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Technology Assessment and Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, and discussed some of the impacts in dairy regions in Indonesia.
• Jonathan Newby, Regional Coordinator of CIATs Cassava Program and Country Manager for ‘Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT’ in Lao PDR. Jono discussed how regional cassava markets have been impacted.