No one could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the enormous disruption that ensued. The food industry wasn’t prepared for shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, product shortages, and rising prices that resulted from the COVID crisis, and we didn’t have backup plans to deal with the fallout.
Many restaurants didn’t survive the crisis. Those that did had to demonstrate tremendous flexibility, resilience, and creativity to navigate uncharted waters. The key lessons that we learned during the pandemic – pivot to different menu items when certain products are unavailable, reduce waste, lower food and labor costs, etc. – will also be essential as our industry faces a new set of threats.
The US will produce fewer crops due to extreme weather. Extreme drought conditions are wreaking havoc with California’s produce, while the Midwest, which produces three-quarters of our nation’s corn, is facing the opposite problem, with frequent floods washing away precious soil.
Less grain will be exported from Ukraine due to the ongoing war with Russia. Before the war, Ukraine exported 6 million tons of products, including grain, monthly to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Now, they’re only exporting 15-20% of these goods. As a result, an increased 47 million people will likely face acute food insecurity this year.
