[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/02\/hunger-crisis-covid-19\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/02\/hunger-crisis-covid-19\/","headline":"COVID-19 hunger crisis: A lurking horror in the shadows of the pandemic","name":"COVID-19 hunger crisis: A lurking horror in the shadows of the pandemic","description":"The COVID-19 hunger crisis is a further threat to the most vulnerable among us, exacerbating an already urgent global dilemma: food inequity.","datePublished":"2020-10-02","dateModified":"2020-10-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/vivek-bapat\/#Person","name":"Vivek Bapat","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/vivek-bapat\/","identifier":462,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bc253433bc7d790400caa58ab7f80b707835fef54b8a603b30a60a73e9b36bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bc253433bc7d790400caa58ab7f80b707835fef54b8a603b30a60a73e9b36bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/covid-19-hunger-crisis.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/covid-19-hunger-crisis.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/02\/hunger-crisis-covid-19\/","about":["COVID-19 and Business",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/intelligent-enterprise\/","name":"Intelligent Enterprise","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intelligent_enterprise","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q6044119"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/","name":"Purpose","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purpose"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/purpose-general\/","name":"Purpose","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purpose"]}],"wordCount":701,"articleBody":"The COVID-19 hunger crisis is a tremendous threat to the most vulnerable among us, exacerbating an already pressing global dilemma: food inequity.According to a recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2019, 2 billion people did not have regular access to safe, nutritious, and adequate food.A preliminary assessment estimates that as a result of COVID-19, up to 132 million additional people (often those that were already the most vulnerable) will be undernourished.And, if we fast forward to 2050, an additional 2 billion more people on this planet will need to be fed, requiring us to roughly double our food production. If left unchecked, the devastating and long-reaching effects of food insecurity will become even more critical.COVID-19 hunger crisis: How purpose-driven businesses are working to solve the issueAs the world\u2019s largest sector, accounting for\u00a010% of the world\u2019s GDP\u00a0and employing\u00a01 billion people, the food industry can be a significant catalyst for change.\u00a0Collaborative, multi-sector efforts to implement new policies, processes, and incentives that provide equitable access to a healthy diet can significantly improve well-being and quality of life.Last week, hosted by the UN World Food Programme, I participated in\u00a0Dine with Purpose\u00a0on behalf of SAP. This thoughtful discussion with senior leaders – Tony Miliken, Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer, AB InBev, Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability, Unilever, and Ute Klamert, Assistant Executive Director – focused on the challenges and opportunities of coming together to help solve the burgeoning food insecurity crisis and create a sustainable and healthy future for all.SAP\u2019s global customers run incredibly complex supply chains to\u00a0distribute 78%\u00a0of the world\u2019s food today.Traditional supply chains designed for scale and operational efficiency have faced massive disruption in the face of COVID-19.Consumer preference have changed due to:Job lossesShrinking paychecksDisplacement of access pointsClosing of bordersLack of economic assistance to local farmersLabor shortagesUpheaval in logistics and freightAll of these items have laid bare an urgent need for supply chains to be redesigned, and focused on speed and resilience.This hyper localization\u00a0of global supply chains presents new opportunities for innovation.Data for good; a better world for all for the winWhile food \u2013 farm to fork \u2013 is the centerpiece of the supply chain, data is its close cousin.When we can use data to effectively gain more insights, reshape business processes across networks, and improve sustainability without compromising on quality, we can effectively serve the new demand and supply equation.Some impactful examples of this approach include the\u00a0Sustainable Humanitarian Action Project, which emerged out of SAP\u2019s\u00a0One Billion Lives program. It connects the needs of non-governmental organizations, social enterprises, and businesses to provide better and faster services in times of crisis.https:\/\/twitter.com\/vivek_bapat\/status\/1285590495658377218?s=20Additionally, SAP\u2019s partnership with GENYOUth, a child health and wellness nonprofit, combines the power of SAP technology and GENYOUth\u2019s network of schools to connect families to local resources and ensure the distribution and delivery of nutritious meals during COVID-19. And furthermore,\u00a0Ellsworth Foods, continued to service an increasing stay-at-home market through a quick expansion of operations and two, new, no-touch delivery options with SAP Business One.Food represents a fundamental human need, but it also plays a personal and cultural role in each of our lives.Without enough access to healthy food, we cannot live to our fullest potential.We have it within ourselves as a global collective to overcome the COVID-19 hunger crisis, and food inequity for the long-term.Sustainable and secure access to proper nutrition precedes the ability to pursue educational opportunities, make economic gains, and drive progress towards equality for all.We should begin to see food as not only essential to our survival, but critical to solving many of the systemic global issues we face related to inequality, employment, and climate change.In the famous words of John F. Kennedy, \u201cThe war against hunger is truly mankind\u2019s war of liberation.\u201dBrands must consider all the elements that make up the customer experience – including purpose.Join a powerhouse roundtable to discuss what leaders should be preparing for in 2021.\u00a0This post was syndicated from Vivek’s LinkedIn, and is published here with permission."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"02","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/10\/\/02\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"COVID-19 hunger crisis: A lurking horror in the shadows of the pandemic","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/02\/hunger-crisis-covid-19\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]