Introduction: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Agri-food Supply Chain

Abstract

The origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unclear, but the link with the presence in the food chain of wild animals for human consumption has been claimed as one of the possible sources of the so-called “spillover” of the virus. Food safety throughout the food chain, from field to fork, is one of the most critical issues of the food industry, and significant differences still exist from country to country concerning food production systems, postharvest management, trading, and retail organization. The effect of the pandemic has touched all steps of the food chain.