COVID-19 is creating unprecedented strains on food security worldwide. The United Nations' World Food Programme warns that the pandemic could almost double the number of people facing food crises in low- and middle-income populations to 265 million by the end of 2020. Even the wealthiest nations are experiencing increased food insecurity among vulnerable populations, disruptions throughout food systems, and difficulty getting excess supply to the people who most need it.
Responses range from international food programs to economic stimuli, from national and regional governments to local charity work. For businesspeople already working to tackle food insecurity and promote healthy, sustainable food, COVID-19 is a double-edged sword: a disruption of their current efforts and a potential opportunity to help with urgent needs and create a better future.
In the course of writing Problem Solving: HBS Alumni Making a Difference in the World, and more recent conversations specifically about COVID-19 impacts and responses, we’ve talked with many Harvard Business School alumni the world over. Here are some examples of how they are leading their organizations to meet food security challenges presented by the pandemic on three continents:
West Africa
The region’s already fragile food ecosystems are buckling under the pandemic strain, with lockdowns keeping farm workers from their fields, supply chains disrupted, price hikes, food shortages, and growing unrest among the unemployed. Despite public- and private-sector efforts to feed the most vulnerable, the number of people at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition is projected to increase from 17 million to 50 million between June and August 2020.
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli (HBS MBA 1999) and Mezuo Nwuneli (HBS MBA 2003) have dedicated their careers to unlocking the potential of agriculture in Africa and are engaged in a range of coronavirus responses. They see COVID-19 as a wake-up call. “Many global experts have underscored that this pandemic is a 12-18 month battle and that we can expect future pandemics and shocks related to climate change and other crises,” Ndidi Nwuneli says. “There is an urgent need to transform and strengthen our food ecosystems.”
AACE Food Processing & Distribution Ltd., cofounded by the Nwunelis in 2009, processes, packages, and distributes branded food products sourced from subsistence farmers. The company is operating at reduced capacity to ensure social distancing in its factory and contributing to food drives in several Nigerian states. “AACE also is leading a drive to provide its Soyamaize product, which is a complete meal that fights moderate malnutrition, to 50,000 families,” according to the Nwunelis.
Sahel Capital Agribusiness Managers, where Mezuo Nwuneli is the managing partner, provides capital and technical assistance to food and agriculture-focused small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN). Sahel Capital has launched a COVID webinar series for companies on topics including “Building a Resilient Supply Chain” and “Managing an Effective Work Force during a Crisis.”
Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, where Ndidi Nwuneli is the managing partner, has remained open with Lagos and Abuja offices working remotely and field teams continuing to support Sahel Consulting’s five-year Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria program.
Sahel Consulting is conducting COVID-related research and developing policy recommendations for state and national governments and international development organizations. Ndidi Nwuneli is working to spur a systemic response through interviews and op-eds in Business Day Nigeria and Business Africa Online, and is writing a book called African Entrepreneurs Nourishing the World.
Sahel Consulting also provides COVID-19 support through Nourishing Africa, its online hub for agribusiness entrepreneurs. “We have created a resource center offering COVID-19 information and weekly webinars, and we are developing training and small-grant interventions programs to help SMEs survive the pandemic and build more resilient business models,” Ndidi Nwuneli says.
Australia
In Australia, COVID-19 came on the heels of bushfires that devastated many communities. “The need for food dramatically increased as COVID-19 escalated,” reported Ian Carson (HBS OPM 42, 2012), cofounder of SecondBite. “The Australian Government has implemented stimulus programs, but many vulnerable families and individuals are suffering from job losses, mental health issues, and food shortages due to significant disruptions in the food system.”
SecondBite is a national food relief organization committed to “ending waste, ending hunger.” The nonprofit works with a range of food suppliers to rescue surplus fresh food and redistribute it to local charities and nonprofits that run food programs to support people in need in their communities. Before the pandemic, SecondBite was providing food for 40 million meals a year to more than 1,200 outlets across Australia.
COVID-19 fundamentally changed SecondBite’s operating model. Declared an essential service in early March, it immediately appointed a pandemic coordinator and developed a four-phase pandemic response plan that included health screening and personal protective equipment for all employees and procedures for dealing with identified cases and affected sites. Unaffected nonoperational employees work as normal at the office, with hygiene practices and social distancing, using a split workforce schedule and remote-work arrangements.
SecondBite quickly began sourcing large volumes of additional food and working with existing corporate transport and storage partners to implement a new strategy of moving bulk produce to remote areas, as well as serving its traditional outlets.
SecondBite also found different ways to serve food to people in isolation, sourced extra funding for commercial transport and food delivery, and helped smaller relief agencies with staffing and support. Its own staffing was increased by 25 percent to accommodate the increased workload, COVID-19 requirements, and the fact that many of SecondBite’s 900 volunteers fell into at-risk categories such as the elderly and could no longer work.
By early May, SecondBite’s food volume had increased from 40 million meals to over 50 million meals per year. “The long-term impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity has yet to be determined,” says Carson. “As the government quarantine ends and recovery begins, we must ensure that SecondBite remains financially and operationally ready to support our communities.”
United States
With jobless rates at Depression-era levels, hunger is a serious issue for many Americans. Feeding America, a nationwide non-profit network of more than 200 foodbanks, predicts that an additional 17.1 million more citizens will experience food insecurity due to the pandemic, and a Brookings Institution analysis shows two in five households with mothers and children under the age of 12 unable to afford enough food. COVID-19 also is causing disruptions throughout food systems at local, regional, and national levels.
In New England, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation’s work is inspired by a vision known as 50 by 60, which describes a future whereby New England produces 50 percent of its food by 2060. In late March, however, the foundation suspended its regular programming and refocused its efforts and resources on defending the region’s food system from impacts brought on by the pandemic.
An initial set of grants was awarded to Coastal Enterprises for immediate debt relief to more than 40 farms; to CommonWealth Kitchen, a community-based organization that supports food entrepreneurs; to the Boston Food Market, which provides a year-round marketplace for locally sourced food and food products; and to help establish the New England Food System Resilience Fund with other funding partners.
“Given the uncertain and fast-moving nature of the crisis, we will closely monitor developments and respond where and when we can have the greatest impact,” executive director Andrew Kendall (HBS MBA 1988) says.
In Chicago, Gardeneers, which runs a school garden program for students, is pivoting to make the best of a challenging situation. Prior to the pandemic, Gardeneers was gearing up programs at 20 schools, had dozens of group volunteer events scheduled, and enjoyed philanthropic support from individuals and corporations.
“Now, schools are closed, events cancelled, and donations dried up while the problems we have been working to solve have worsened,” says Gardeneers co-founder, Adam Zmick (HBS MBA 2011). “COVID-19 is especially deadly for people with underlying conditions, including those related to poor diet, like obesity and diabetes. That is exacerbating existing health disparities with deep roots in food apartheid.”
Gardeneers had to furlough most of its 20-person team early on. With assistance from AmeriCorps service members, it now is focused on maximizing food production by expanding growing space and adjusting crop plans. The goal is to double last year’s harvest of 3 tons of food, which is being given free of charge to local families in need and relief groups. “We understand that we are a very small part of the food system, but whatever we are able to grow will be increasingly important,” Zmick says.
Zmick also is engaging the Gardeneer community through social media, encouraging people to garden and grow fruits and vegetables at home and share their experiences.
“Every bit of food you are able to grow helps reduce the demand on essential workers and contributes to your family’s health,” Zmick says. “And it’s a great way to relax when you are struggling with isolation and uncertainty.”
About the Authors
Howard Stevenson is Sarofim-Rock Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School. Shirley Spence is a writer, educator and former partner at Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm.
[Image: amriphoto]
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