EU: EU Consumers Hunker Down While Agri-Food Supply Chains Show Resiliency

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to generalize consumer behavior and market developments across all 27 EU Member States. Nevertheless, patterns are emerging. In the first few two weeks of widespread quarantine, many grocery retail outlets reported a surge in demand and some hoarding of shelf-stable foods, canned goods and pantry staples. Despite logistical challenges along the food supply chain, farmers, transporters, and grocery retailers have been largely successful in keeping the shelves stocked and stores open. Shocks to the agri-food chain have waylaid some crops at the farm level, such as asparagus and ornamental crops. Prior to the pandemic, EU policy makers were set to shake up government funding and policy goals for agriculture. Tense debates about  reducing the EU agriculture budget and increasing regulatory stringency for farmers under the European Commission’s Green Deal are on hold for now as a result of the crisis. 

EU:  EU Consumers Hunker Down While Agri-Food Supply Chains Show Resiliency