WorldFish’s COVID-19 portal

CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-food systems
COVID-19 portal

WorldFish is curating a series of resources analyzing the impacts of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in aquatic food systems related to food and nutrition security, poverty, and development.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns are creating health and economic crises, leading to an increased incidence of poverty and a looming food crisis. The food system has been seriously disrupted, with impacts occurring at multiple levels and across supply chains.

For hundreds of millions of people, aquatic foods are an integral part of their livelihood, food and nutrition security, and culture. Part of these populations are women, migrant workers, and a large informal sector that may not see direct aid from governments or financial institutions.

WorldFish and partners are identifying vulnerabilities within aquatic food systems and opportunities for governments, international bodies, industries, small-scale actors, and civil society to respond, adapt, and build resilience.

This page is updated regularly with links to blogs, publications, policy briefs, events, and other resources featuring WorldFish analysis on COVID-19, including specific regional and country impacts.

WorldFish is curating a series of resources analyzing the impacts of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in aquatic food systems related to food and nutrition security, poverty, and development.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns are creating health and economic crises, leading to an increased incidence of poverty and a looming food crisis. The food system has been seriously disrupted, with impacts occurring at multiple levels and across supply chains.

For hundreds of millions of people, aquatic foods are an integral part of their livelihood, food and nutrition security, and culture. Part of these populations are women, migrant workers, and a large informal sector that may not see direct aid from governments or financial institutions.

WorldFish and partners are identifying vulnerabilities within aquatic food systems and opportunities for governments, international bodies, industries, small-scale actors, and civil society to respond, adapt, and build resilience.

This page is updated regularly with links to blogs, publications, policy briefs, events, and other resources featuring WorldFish analysis on COVID-19, including specific regional and country impacts.

News and updates

Blog
COVID-19 impacts on the Bangladesh finfish aquaculture value-chain, and recommended coping strategies

Jul , 2021

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Blog
COVID-19 impact on aquatic food systems reveals insights for future resilience

Jun , 2021

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Blog
How small-scale seafood supply chains adapt to COVID-19 disruptions

Apr, 2021

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Blog
Guidelines support COVID-safe fish transporting

Apr, 2021

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Blog
Low-cost technology boosts women’s livelihoods amidst pandemic in Bangladesh

Mar , 2021

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Blog
African women join forces to overcome COVID-19 challenges in aquatic food systems

Mar, 2021

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Blog
FAO declaration supports sustainable aquatic food systems

Feb , 2021

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Blog
Savings groups support women’s financial independence during COVID-19 in Bangladesh

Mar, 2021

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Press Release
Early COVID-19 responses in the seafood sector offer crucial lessons for dealing with future shocks in food systems

Feb, 2021

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Event
The Big Fish Series: Impacts of COVID-19 on Seafood Value Chains

Feb, 2021

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Blog
Keeping food flowing within African food systems by busting policy myths

Jan, 2021

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Blog
Shrimp Farming and Research in Bangladesh Adapts to COVID-19 Pandemic

Jan, 2021

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Blog
Mobile app connects fish farmers with aquaculture information despite COVID-19 in Myanmar

Dec, 2020

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Blog
Effective research during COVID-19 and other food system shocks: Here’s 10 tips

Oct, 2020

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News
The importance of sex-disaggregated data and the need to be gender responsive in response to COVID-19’s impact on the fisheries and aquaculture sector

Sep, 2020

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Blog
Resilient, inclusive aquatic foods systems key to tackling climate change and COVID-19, say researchers

Sep, 2020

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News
Coastal fisheries in a pandemic: Solomon Islands and Vanuatu experiences

July, 2020

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News
Field Notes: Call for government support as lockdown bites into fish processors’ profits in India

July, 2020

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Blog
Field Notes: Nigeria’s fish processors call for government support to stay afloat during COVID-19 crisis

July, 2020

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Blog
MYSAP Inland supports small-scale fish farmers and fish processors during COVID-19

June, 2020

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Blog
Field Notes: Bangladesh in times of COVID-19 and food security implications

June, 2020

Part I Part II
Blog
Safeguarding Gender Integration In Research During The Covid-19 Pandemic

June, 2020

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News
Asia's fishermen and farmers go digital during virus

June, 2020

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Blog
Dried fish in a COVID-19 world

May, 2020

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Blog
Youth in fisheries, aquaculture and value chains

May, 2020

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Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
News
IFPRI, IRRI, CIMMYT, WorldFish make joint call for measures to avert risk to food system

May, 2020

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Newsletter
Addressing COVID-19 impacts on fish and aquatic food systems
WorldFish and partners join forces in research response

April, 2020

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News
How small fishers in Kerala's Poonthura benefited from COVID time auction system

April, 2020

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Blog
Why gender matters in COVID-19 responses – now and in the future

April, 2020

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Blog
Will COVID-19 cause another food crisis? An early review

April, 2020

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News
Coronavirus should drive Kerala to adopt sustainable marine fishing practices

March, 2020

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Publications and policy briefs
Responding to COVID-19 and its impact on aquatic food systems

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fish consumption and household food security in Dhaka city, Bangladesh
​Science Direct Global Food Security. Volume 29, June 2021, 100526

Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh
​FAO. 2020. Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: May – July 2020. Dhaka.

Summary Of The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Fisheries And Aquaculture Sector
Addendum to the state of world fisheriesand aquaculture 2020 summary of the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on the fisheries and aquaculture sector

FAO Policy briefs
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting not only food trade, food supply chains and markets but also people’s lives, livelihoods and nutrition. This collection of policy briefs presents a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the pandemic’s impacts on these areas.

Mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition of school children
WFP, FAO, WHO (April 2020) Mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on food and nutrition of school children. Interim Guidance Note. pp. 14.

Joint Statement on COVID-19 Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition
FAO, IFAD, the World Bank and WFP on the occasion of the Extraordinary G20 Agriculture Minister's Meeting. 21st April 2020. Joint Statement on COVID-19 impacts on food security and nutrition.

How is COVID-19 affecting the fisheries and aquaculture food systems
A sector at risk, yet fish is safe to eat. (FAO, 10 April 2020)
Pandemic prices: covid-19 price shocks and their implications for nutrition security in india
March – May 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Small-Scale Fisheries and Coastal Fishing Communities
Coastal Management (22 May 2020)

CGIAR Research Response to COVID-19
Executive summary - CGIAR Research Response to COVID-19 (20 May 2020)

Food systems security, resilience and emerging risks in the Indo-Pacific in the context of COVID-19
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (May 2020)

MSSRF COVID-19 policy briefs print version
M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) (15 May 2020)

The 2020 Global Nutrition Report in the context of Covid-19
Global Nutrition Report (May 2020)

COVID-19 pandemic drives global increase in humanitarian food assistance needs
Global Food Security Alert (27 April 2020)

Will the COVID-19 pandemic make us reconsider the relevance of short food supply chains and local productions?
Trends in Food Science & Technology (Volume 99, May 2020, Pages 566-567)

Does COVID-19 Affect Food Safety and Security?
A Summary Report on the Extraordinary Scientific Roundtable of IUFoST-CIFST (March 21, 2020)

International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (iPES-Food)
COVID-19 and the crisis in food systems: Symptoms, causes, and potential solutions. (IPES-Food, April 2020)

SARS-CoV-2 is Not Known to Infect Aquatic Food Animals Nor Contaminate Their Products
Currently there is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 (The Cause of COVID-19 in Humans) can infect aquatic food animals and therefore these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.

COVID-19 is Threatening Food Security and Workers’ Health
Discussion Paper for 21 July 2020 CFS Open Meeting. A call to all stakeholders to increase the resilience of safe food supply chains

Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition
Interim Issues Paper on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and nutrition (HLPE)

Statement from the Chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
Rome, 24 March 2020
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fish consumption and household food security in Dhaka city, Bangladesh
​Science Direct Global Food Security. Volume 29, June 2021, 100526

Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh
​FAO. 2020. Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: May – July 2020. Dhaka.

Summary Of The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Fisheries And Aquaculture Sector
Addendum to the state of world fisheriesand aquaculture 2020 summary of the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on the fisheries and aquaculture sector

FAO Policy briefs
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting not only food trade, food supply chains and markets but also people’s lives, livelihoods and nutrition. This collection of policy briefs presents a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the pandemic’s impacts on these areas.

Mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition of school children
WFP, FAO, WHO (April 2020) Mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on food and nutrition of school children. Interim Guidance Note. pp. 14.

Joint Statement on COVID-19 Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition
FAO, IFAD, the World Bank and WFP on the occasion of the Extraordinary G20 Agriculture Minister's Meeting. 21st April 2020. Joint Statement on COVID-19 impacts on food security and nutrition.

How is COVID-19 affecting the fisheries and aquaculture food systems
A sector at risk, yet fish is safe to eat. (FAO, 10 April 2020)
Pandemic prices: covid-19 price shocks and their implications for nutrition security in india
March – May 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Small-Scale Fisheries and Coastal Fishing Communities
Coastal Management (22 May 2020)

CGIAR Research Response to COVID-19
Executive summary - CGIAR Research Response to COVID-19 (20 May 2020)

Food systems security, resilience and emerging risks in the Indo-Pacific in the context of COVID-19
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (May 2020)

MSSRF COVID-19 policy briefs print version
M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) (15 May 2020)

The 2020 Global Nutrition Report in the context of Covid-19
Global Nutrition Report (May 2020)

COVID-19 pandemic drives global increase in humanitarian food assistance needs
Global Food Security Alert (27 April 2020)

Will the COVID-19 pandemic make us reconsider the relevance of short food supply chains and local productions?
Trends in Food Science & Technology (Volume 99, May 2020, Pages 566-567)

Does COVID-19 Affect Food Safety and Security?
A Summary Report on the Extraordinary Scientific Roundtable of IUFoST-CIFST (March 21, 2020)

International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (iPES-Food)
COVID-19 and the crisis in food systems: Symptoms, causes, and potential solutions. (IPES-Food, April 2020)

SARS-CoV-2 is Not Known to Infect Aquatic Food Animals Nor Contaminate Their Products
Currently there is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 (The Cause of COVID-19 in Humans) can infect aquatic food animals and therefore these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.

COVID-19 is Threatening Food Security and Workers’ Health
Discussion Paper for 21 July 2020 CFS Open Meeting. A call to all stakeholders to increase the resilience of safe food supply chains

Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition
Interim Issues Paper on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and nutrition (HLPE)

Statement from the Chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
Rome, 24 March 2020

WorldFish COVID-19 field data dashboard

Media coverage

WorldFish researchers are publishing opinion pieces and media articles on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on aquatic food systems. Explore the media mentions below and contact worldfish-cdrd@cgiar.org for media inquiries.

Videos, webinars and podcasts

D-19 risk and food value chains
COVID-19 impacts on women fish processors and traders in sub-Saharan Africa
22 Nov 2021

D-19 risk and food value chains
COVID-19 impacts and adaptations in Asia and Africa’s aquatic food value chains
1 Apr 2021

D-19 risk and food value chains
COVID-19 risk and food value chains
11 Dec 2020

Virtual Dialogue: Building Forward Better with Aquatic Foods
Virtual Policy Seminar:
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s Livestock and Fishery Sectors
26 Aug 2020
Virtual Dialogue: Building Forward Better with Aquatic Foods
Virtual Dialogue:
Building Forward Better with Aquatic Foods
2 Aug 2020

SEAFDEC Webinar
Day-1, SEAFDEC Webinar on “Impact of COVID-19 on Fisheries and Aquaculture” in Southeast Asia
2 Jul 2020
Impacts of COVID-19 on Food and Nutrition Security and Responses to the Pandemic
IFPRI Director General, John McDermott, Akhter Ahmed – talking about our One CGIAR response in Bangladesh.
25 Jun 2020
IFPRI’s virtual policy webinar: "Social Safety Nets and COVID-19: Can we protect food security and nutrition?"
11 June 2020
Fish talk: Nutrition Day Special with focus on COVID-19
Fish talk: Nutrition Day Special with focus on COVID-19
28 May 2020


Fish Talk: Covid 19 Impacts on Fish and Aquatic Food Systems
Fish Talk: Covid 19 Impacts on Fish and Aquatic Food Systems
23 April 2020


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