If there’s one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s that nothing should ever be taken for granted. Today, even our most essential – and seemingly stable – industries are in serious jeopardy. There’s just no telling, for example, what education or public health care will look like when this crisis is over. Even our systems of food production and distribution are being pushed to the breaking point. 

Thankfully, the agricultural industry in the US has thus far been able to persevere through the challenges of the pandemic. But what if the COVID-19 crisis is just a preview of what the future holds?

As experts in first-time farmer loans, we hear a lot of discussion about the future of global food security. In this article, we’ll elaborate a bit on what our research has shown us about this subject.

Is the World Headed for a Food Security Crisis?

For the last couple of centuries, people in the affluent West have had a consistent and abundant supply of food. This has given us a strong sense of food security, and it’s difficult for us to imagine ever running out. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of that. Now that most of us are faced with regular food shortages, we’re seeing how fragile our food security actually is. In many other parts of the world, however, this is a reality that has been starkly evident for many years. In countries like Yemen, Venezuela, Sudan, and Haiti, food shortages are just a daily fact of life. 

As the world becomes increasingly connected through globalization, localized phenomena can quickly escalate to global phenomena. A collapse of agriculture in China, for example, could quickly result in food shortages here in the United States. Furthermore, escalating changes in climate are very likely to continue to strain systems of agriculture and trade around the world.

Protect Your Food Security with A First-Time Farmer Loan

No one knows for certain what the future holds for global food security. At the same time, macroeconomic and ecological trends suggest that we could be headed for a serious global food crisis. But we don’t have to simply be the victims of our future – we can also be the architects. 

Are you concerned about the future of food security? If so, first-time farmer loans are a fast and easy way to start building your own means of food production. To learn more, contact our office today!