Action needed now to make agrifood an engine of post-COVID recovery.Ottawa--With far more meals being consumed at home, the importance of the agrifood supply chain is receiving a lot more attention from consumers than in the past, says the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.While the first month of work from home and physical distancing because of COVID-19 passed without any major supply problems, “whether this reality will continue is significantly complicated by the variety and length of Canadian agri-food supply chains,” CAPI says in a report authored by leading agrifood experts.“There are many critical points along this chain, and if one link becomes broken, the chain is likely to break down, which could result in food shortages.” The report was prepared by CAPI President Don Buckingham, former CAPI Chairman Ted Bilyea and agriculture economists Al Mussell and Douglas Hedley.They say, “The immediate task for industry and government is to acknowledge that there are significant potential risks, and be prepared to act on them. The message of reassurance for the public should be that our system's resilience lies in our ability to recognize the risks posed by an emergency, and to work together and expedite the changes needed to secure it.”The report calls on governments to maintain labour availability in spite of sickness, fear or lockdowns affecting processing facilities, transportation, warehousing and farming.Governments also have to prioritize continuity of inspection services and other critical infrastructure and align transportation services with societal needs to prioritize food over other goods movement. They need to keep borders open for the movement of goods and migrant workers, with fallback plans to become more self-sufficient should be encouraged. Consumer confidence that the Canadian food system is robust and safe has to be maintained.While food hoarding has declined as grocery stores are able to keep their shelves fairly well stocked, “Before COVID-19, Canadians' thoughts about agriculture focused primarily on food safety and choice,” the report said. “But now, we more clearly realize that our food be readily available and accessible, as well as being safe and varied.”Food security is now understood on a local, national and international basis. “Access to food has been largely focused on in store purchases for preparation at home, resulting in some stockouts and empty shelves. At the same time, government and industry messaging has focused on the reliability and robustness of the food supply chain.“Nothing fundamental has changed with regard to productive capacity in the agri-food system- no livestock or plant disease, or natural disasters (flood, drought, pests, destruction of property) have occurred that reduce food output. Movement of agri-food product from farms through to consumers has been resilient to any number of past extremes.“Rather, as a human pandemic crisis, COVID-19 presents a different situation to the agrifood system with its own risks and vulnerabilities, many previously unencountered. Agri-food operates with some relatively long supply chains with numerous intermediaries, in some cases containing significant lags in time and with few redundancies.“This structure has been shaped by competitiveness and efficiency criteria but can create points of vulnerability in a crisis such as COVID-19. Past experience of the robustness and the integrity of our system should not blind us from the real risks we now face.“Logistics relating to farm deliveries are also a critical source of risk. Late winter and early spring are periods when seed, fertilizer, fuel, and other inputs are typically delivered to farms, when spring tillage and planting proceeds, and a bit later when custom fertilizer and pesticide applications occur. Trained drivers/operators are already in short supply in these segments and so, disease-related absenteeism in these positions will delay or impair seeding and crop tending operations.“The provision of feed and veterinary services are equally critical matters of animal health/welfare, livestock disease prevention/treatment, and economic value.”Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.