The Impact of Covid-19 on the Livestock Industry and the Way Forward: A Review

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic is causing many radical changes in the circadian rhythm of people around the world and it represents an unprecedented emergency with a grave societal threat. The protection of public health has become a priority. However, governments, policy and decision makers, and the global community must also recognize and attempt to mitigate the current and potential negative impacts of the pandemic on major sectors that contribute to food security, nutrition, and livelihoods. The livestock sector is a major contributor to these areas, especially for the world’s most vulnerable populations. The main aim of this review is to summarize recent discoveries related to Covid-19 and how it affects the livestock industry. Even though the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the extent of these effect on the livestock sector are still largely unquantified and yet to be fully felt, formal assessments are yet to commence. The immediate observations showed the disruptions of the livestock chains. Lessons from past epidemics showed that these disruptions may grow along with their dire socio-economic consequences. Since total and immediate eradication of Covid-19 is yet to be actualized, effort was made to provide the way forward that can be taken to protect the livestock sector, its activities, services, and products upon which the world relies.