Alliance’s COVID-19 response: Taking actions to address increase in world hunger

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIATApr 24 2020

The unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis have reached every corner of the globe. While stemming the tragic human toll is still our collective global priority, another looming crisis is coming into view: an alarming increase in those going hungry.

Global economic shutdowns have disrupted the livelihoods of untold millions, jeopardizing the food and nutritional security of the world’s most vulnerable. Pre-pandemic statistics showed us that some 800 million people were already hungry, and that number could double in the fallout from the pandemic.

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is responding with a series of short- to long-term actions that draw on our expertise in food systems and our extensive partnerships across the globe.

Rigorous research on COVID-19’s impact on food systems will be essential to helping us withstand this global crisis, accelerating recovery once the crisis ends, and building food systems of the future that perform better in addressing the nexus of agriculture, nutrition and the environment.”

Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General of the Alliance

As the custodians of the world’s largest collections of beans, cassava, tropical forages and bananas, the Alliance’s genebanks in Colombia and Belgium remain functioning to guarantee access to our seeds and germplasm, which are available to farmers across the globe in need of planting fields. Our workers tell the story of how they are maintaining the genebank collections, which belong to some 150 countries.

The Alliance has donated 4.5 tons of improved seed in different regions of Colombia, including biofortified beans, rice and maize. This first donation is enough to ensure that 4,500 low-incoming farming families have access to nutritious food and generate some revenue for the next 12 months, and also produce new seed for further sowing. We are working with local authorities to donate more seed.

We’re also adjusting a number of our digital platforms to better understand farmer, consumer and market vendor responses to the COVID-19 crisis. This information will help decision-makers in numerous countries understand on-the-ground shifts in activity and quickly take actions to address emergent needs.