Legal mechanisms to contribute to safe and secured food supply chains in time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the use of emergency regulatory mechanisms (FAO, 2020a) and has impacted contractual transactions in food supply chains, altering the equilibrium of supply and demand and leaving small producers and business operators in a fragile situation (FAO, 2020b). Legislation covering the supply chain can contribute to restoring secure and safe transactions in times of emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal frameworks should recognize the rights of producers and vulnerable groups affected by changes in supply and demand, and their need to appropriately adapt to these changes; to ensure the proportionality and necessity of restrictive measures; and to strengthen their capacity to face the challenges posed by the new situation, including enabling flexibility in the application of certain administrative requirements. The regulatory measures suggested in this brief would not only be useful during the COVID-19 pandemic but would provide the basis for creating more resilient and sustainable food supply chains beyond the current emergency and anticipate the “new normal” brought on by the pandemic as well as future emergencies. The legislative measures proposed in this brief should not come with an “expiry date” but apply to future emergencies and remain in place beyond the pandemic, in order to avoid reactionary measures which may not be well informed due to the typical sudden occurrences of emergencies.