The world is facing a global health crisis with the soaring number of infected people and deaths due to COVID-19, while the pandemic is causing an unprecedented impact on myriad sectors in many countries. The supply and demand shocks caused by the measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease – such as quarantining, partial or total lockdowns, travel restrictions, the closure of schools and offices, virtual working, recommendations to stay at home and other social distancing rules – have affected many sectors of the world economy, putting also food supply chains, food security and incomes at risk.

In response to Turkey’s call for an urgent assessment of impact of the COVID-19 on the economy and society after similar measures have been taken, the “COVID-19 Rapid Impact Assessment on the Agri-Food Sector and Rural Areas in Turkey” Report was prepared to analyze the agri-food sector and the resilience of rural communities, and to map the critical impacts of COVID-19, with a view to helping to identify and elaborate possible policy recommendations for mitigating these impacts.

The main objectives of this report is to carry out a short term impact analysis of food systems in order to propose rapid mitigation actions in addition to the measures already implemented by the Government of Turkey; to monitor the evolution of food security and the livelihoods of vulnerable households with a special focus on rural areas and particularly smallholder farmers, and to identify recovery actions for the short and medium terms, including the policy response.

Prepared within the framework developed by the UN agencies – namely, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the report is expected both to contribute to the Socio-Economic Assessment of the SEIRTT¹ to help set the basis for further institutional engagement with Government and other relevant stakeholders in the short to medium term and to guide the coordination.

¹The COVID-19 Socio-Economic Impact and Response Task Team (SEIRTT), co-led by the Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNDP, was established at the request of the UN Country Team (UNCT) with a view to informing the readjustment and expansion of the portfolio of programmes of the UN and its partners in Turkey, including 3RP, in response to the socio-economic dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis.