Challenges of the Vegetable Production and Distribution Industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Recently, there are many concerns about the health consequences of COVID-19 as well as the global food supply. For this reason, assessing the impact of pandemic effects on the vegetable chain is critical to set policies to ensure an adequate supply of vegetables. Methods: In this study, major centers of processing and distribution of vegetables in various areas of Tehran have been studied. In the first phase, the status of the hygienic behavior of 192 staff of these centers in the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the second phase, the challenges of these centers were assessed. Data were collected through completing questionnaires, observation, and interviews with staff and statistically analyzed using SPSS. The relationship between independent (demographic characteristics) and dependent (behavior) variables were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: In the first quantitative phase, up to 51% of the respondents had a good hygienic behavior towards various aspects of the preventive measures. The behavioral mean scores were significantly related to educational level (p <0.05). Findings of the qualitative phase revealed that the outbreak of COVID-19, quarantine, and social distance measures to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus have not disrupted the vegetable supply chain, but it was observed that vegetable distributors and manufacturers have suffered the most from declining sales and after that, due to price volatility during the epidemic which is mostly due to lock-down. Conclusion: In general, the current economic situation may seriously impair the livelihoods of disadvantaged groups. Although most staff at vegetable centers follow the safety measures of using masks, these results show that this part of the population that is in continuous contact with different persons have not taken COVID-19 disease seriously.