Environmental health and strengthening resilience to pandemics

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic highlights the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to human health. Enhancing environmental health through better air quality, water and sanitation, waste management, along with efforts to safeguard biodiversity, will reduce the vulnerability of communities to pandemics and thus improve overall societal well-being and resilience. Exposure to ambient and indoor air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular, respiratory and developmental diseases, as well as premature death, and makes individuals more vulnerable to COVID-19. Water access and quality and biodiversity protection are key to battling the spread of pandemics, while effective waste management is essential to minimise possible secondary impacts upon health and the environment.

https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/environmental-health-and-strengthening-resilience-to-pandemics-73784e04/

Spotlight: The hidden pandemic

People are worried about jobs, finances & the future

In a recent OECD survey, 44% of households report having at least one member whose work had been disrupted by the crisis – such as by a job loss, a lay-off, a retention scheme, reduced working hours, unpaid leave or resignation.

People are concerned about their overall financial, social and economic well-being and that of their families. Many say they haven’t been able to cover usual expenses, such as rent, mortgage, utilities or credit card bills. Many are unsure if they have the right skills and knowledge to secure a good quality job in the next decade.

People are also worried about adequate long-term care for their elderly relatives and about whether they themselves will be able to afford to retire one day.

https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/en/#spotlight

Technological advancements in the life sciences bring new possibilities for how we treat disease and grow food

 Inside the Bio Revolution

The convergence of science and technology can help address some of humanity’s most pressing problems.

“Health and nutrition are among the most basic needs of societies around the globe. It’s the definition of systemic relevance,” Baumann says. “Based on the converging worlds of genes, cells and data, the Bio Revolution leads to a new foundation for scientific breakthroughs in those areas.”

“As societies, we should dare to ask: ‘What if?’” he says. “What if diseases like Parkinson’s or cancer weren’t diseases we treated, but cured? What if we could create a carbon-positive agricultural system? What if underserved communities had everything they needed to take care of their everyday health?”

https://partners.wsj.com/bayer/innovating-life-science/inside-the-bio-revolution/

Citation: Bayer

Food Security and Poverty—a precarious balance

 “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Analysis based solely on food availability frequently resulted in policies that exacerbated the problem.

There are many reasons why people may not have access to food even when enough is available in the aggregate. One of the most fundamental is that there is no guarantee that a market economy will generate a distribution of income that provides enough income for all to purchase the food they need. Thus, the World Bank’s central poverty reduction mission is critical to achieving food security for all.

This profoundly important—and seemingly-simple—definition of food security from the World Food Summit of 1996 actually has four elements:

1. Enough food must be available to meet people’s needs.

2. People must have access to the food that is available under normal circumstances.

3. Volatility in production or prices must not threaten this availability, and

4. The quality of food that people consume must be adequate for their needs.

https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/food-security-and-poverty-a-precarious-balance

Citation:  WorldBank

Profit with Purpose: Reforming Business to Address 21st Century Global Challenges

Even prior to the pandemic, the concept of corporate purpose was gaining increasing traction amongst businesses and investors. Much of that interest stemmed from growing concerns about climate change and businesses’ role in contributing to it. With COVID-19, corporate purpose has taken on heightened significance and the agenda has moved beyond environmental concerns to include a broad range of social issues around health, inclusivity and diversity. 

What can corporate purpose do to address the social, political and environmental challenges of the day? The answer is an immense amount, once it is understood what is meant by it. Corporate purpose is why a company exists, is created and its reason for being. 

https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/profit-with-purpose-reforming-business-to-address-21st-century-global-challenges?channel_id=747-trust

Citation:  OECD

The poverty risk has shifted from the elderly to young people

 Over the last decades, we have seen a shift in the risk of being poor from older to younger age groups. 

https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/the-poverty-risk-has-shifted-from-the-elderly-to-young-people?utm_source=newsletter_mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Citation: OECD

Ramping Up Sustainable Food Production: Why everyone has a stake in the Food Transition for all

One of the major challenges of the 21st century is what we at Carrefour call the Food Transition. In 2019, Carrefour defined its “raison d’être”, its mission, as the Food Transition for all. What it entails is simple: providing food that is healthy, sustainable and accessible for everyone.

Finally, we recognise the need to work collectively to achieve our goals. We all—the private sector, civil society and governments—have a role to play.

https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/ramping-up-sustainable-food-production-why-everyone-has-a-stake-in-the-food-transition-for-all?utm_source=newsletter_mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Citation: OECD