As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the United States, pressure is being placed on the nation's food supply industry. There has been an increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases in meat processing plants, warehouses, and grocery store workers. Many meat processing plants are being forced to temporarily close their doors due to the spike in sick workers. Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has been ordered to close down for at least the next two weeks after 230 workers became ill with the virus. This plant alone produces 5% of our nations pork. Workers in the food and grocery industry are considered essential workers as they are responsible for feeding the country. However, many workers are becoming sick and some are choosing not to come to work in fear of the disease. Consumers have been reassured that we will not run out of food. There will just be less options to pick from. We might not get our first choice at the grocery store, but we will get fed. What do you think could be a long term impact on the food and grocery industry if there continues to be a shortage of labor?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/business/coronavirus-food-supply.html
2 comments:
For those in the food services industry, they are just as potentially able to contract this virus than any other industry, the problem is we need them to stay open to feed everyone. Luckily today it was announced that you may not need to wipe down all the food you buy at the grocery store as the virus cannot easily live on the food, although for those working in the processing of said food, this may create shortages and less production across the board.
I think it is reassuring that we will not run out of food, but the meat market has such a wide variety nowadays that a few fewer options might not make a difference. Grocery stores are one of the only places people can go now and there is not much to worry about catching it from the food like Scott mentioned. The biggest concern is other people, which is why meat packaging industries might be struggling because there are so many people working in close quarters, but it is essential to work, so people still go like they have done in the past. There needs to be more measures taken to protect the workers that are still having to interact with colleagues because that is their only source of income.
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