Event Information

Migrant workers are central to food systems – agricultural production, and food processing, transportation, and retail – globally and in the United States. Lockdowns limit migrant workers’ ability to perform these essential functions, threatening food & nutrition security in places most reliant on their labor.

Equally importantly, migrant workers’ own health and livelihoods are threatened by Covid-19. An estimated 1.6 billion people – nearly half the global workforce, many of whom are migrant workers – will see their working hours reduced or eliminated altogether due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Working conditions can facilitate the spread of coronavirus, resulting in high rates of infection among migrant communities, and those infected often do not have access to sick leave or health care. Sectors traditionally dependent upon a migrant labor force as essential workers are facing critical supply gaps. 

Our expert panel will explore how the pandemic has put a spotlight on the vital contribution of migrants to the global economy, and how this will impact food security during Covid-19. We hope you will virtually join us Thursday, July 9, from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. EST  for an online discussion about “Covid-19 Through the Migration Lens.”

Keynote Speaker:

Eugenio Ambrosi
Chief of Staff, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Panel Discussion:

Cristina Rapone
Migration and Rural Employment Specialist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Dilip Ratha
Head KNOMAD and Lead Economist, Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, World Bank

Whitney Ford
Director, Division of Agriculture and Immigration U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division


Welcome remarks:

Vimlendra Sharan
Director, FAO Liaison Office for North America

Moderator:

Caitlin Welsh
Director, CSIS Global Food Security Program