Question

1. Is COVID-19 zoonotic? i.e. can COVID-19 be transmitted from animals to humans or from

   humans to animals? Substantiate your answer. (3)

2. Discuss how COVID-19 poses a risk for food production. (4)

3. Discuss how COVID-19 has affected the global food market and economy. (4)

4. Consider the following diagram and discuss how COVID-19 may be disruptive to the

5. agricultural supply chain at each level. (12)

Answer 1

Question- Is COVID-19 zoonotic? i.e. can COVID-19 be transmitted from animals to humans or from humans to animals?

Answer- 1) Yes COVID-19 is Zoonotic. according to various studies conducted on COVID-19 it has been found that the contagious virus has transmitted from an animal source. Rhinolopus bat (horseshoe bat) were the main source from were the COVID-19 disease first transmitted to human. There are possibilities that the COVID-19 can spread from humans to animals. Domestic animals such as Dog, Cat, that are in close contact with human infected with COVID-19 are likely to get infected by the disease. Cat, rhesus macaques, golden syrian hamsters are the most susceptible animals that could get infected by the virus.

Question-Discuss how COVID-19 poses a risk for food production.

Answer- The impact of COVID-19 is on agriculture system. As the agriculture system depends upon manpower. The COVID-19 has affected the migrant workers and forced them to return to their hometowns. Food production (rice, wheat, pulses) requires labour/ man power for planting, harvesting crops, food movement and packaging etc. but containment efforts for the virus infection and lockdown has caused huge damper in labour availability which has greatly affected food production. Trade restriction – export-import of food has been restricted. Trade restriction by closing borders and stopping trade has greatly affected the food supply.

Question- Discuss how COVID-19 has affected the global food market and economy

Answer- COVID-19 has affected the production of staple food crops such as wheat and rice, vegetables etc. which has further affected low income countries. International trade restriction has resulted in price hike which had reduced the demand and supply of food products.

Chinese economy alone contributes about 16% of global GDP. Usually markets are more joined and interlinked, so if there is any cause that influence Chinese market, the global market and world’s economy would suffer a great consequence.

There is constraint on the economy due to supply shocks caused by high mortality and morbidity. Also, containment efforts and restriction in supply chains would result in higher costs for doing business and which would result in economic recession.

Due to COVID-19, there is high ambiguity between people, increased protective behaviour, suppression efforts by the governments would result in fall of demands leading to rise in financial costs of items or products.

Deflation of exchange rate with respect to dollar (US) would affect the countries that are dependent on export of food products.