>>> LIFE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS MEANS CRISIS UPON
CRISIS FOR AMERICANS THAT LOST
JOBS AND INCOMES WHICH LEAVES
THEM WORRYING HOW THEY CAN
AFFORD FOOD IF THEY CAN FIND
FOOD ON THE SHELVES OF MARKETING
WHILE THEY WORRY ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF ACTUALLY CATCHING
THIS DEADLY VIRUS.
THE ECONOMIC SHUTDOWN HAS
DRAMATICALLY INCREASED THE LINES
OF FOOD PANTRIES AROUND THE
COUNTRY 10,000 PEOPLE LINED UP
IN SAN ANTONIO.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO THOUSANDS
OF LONG LINES IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA TO THOUSANDS OF CARS
LINED UP IN PITTSBURGH,
PENNSYLVANIA.
PENNSYLVANIA. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE
UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATION FILINGS
HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED AND
ALSO DRAMATICALLY UNDER STATE
HOW MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR
INCOME AND JOBS SO FAR SINCE THE
STATES HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED
WITH UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS.
A MORE REALISTIC PICTURE FINDS
THAT 4 IN 10 AMERICANS HAVE LOST
INCOME AS A RESULT OF THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. IN THAT SAME SURVEY, MORE THAN
HALF OF AMERICANS SAY THEY ARE
HAVING TROUBLE FINDING CERTAIN
ITEMS IN STORES.
TOILET PAPER AND HAND SANITIZER
ARE AT THE TOP OF THE SCARCITY
LIST BUT THE SCARCITY LIST
CONTAINS CERTAIN FOOD ITEMS NOW
AND SO TONIGHT, MORE PEOPLE ARE
WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEIR NEXT
MEAL OR FUTURE MEALS WILL COME
FROM AND THE DELIVERY OF OUR
MEALS DEPENDS ON A FOOD SUPPLY
CHAIN FROM FARMER TO SUPERMARKET
THAT HAS NEVER BEEN UNDER MORE
STRESS.
STRESS. ANDREW IS AN AWARD WINNING CHEF,
TEACHER HOST OF THE SERIES
"WHAT’S EATING AMERICA?"
.
. ANDREW, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US.
US. LET’S START WITH THE FOOTD SUPPL
CHAIN AND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE HEARD OF FARMERS DUMPING FOOD
AND DROPS.
AND DROPS. WHAT IS HAPPENING?
>> WE’VE GONE IN A SHORT MATTER
OF WEEKS, LAWRENCE FROM THE
SHAME OF SEEING THOSE THAT COULD
AFFORD TO BUY FOOD AND EAT
DEPLETING THE SHELVES IN OUR
SUPERMARKETS TO TALKING ABOUT IF
THERE WAS ENOUGH FOOD, A FEW
WEEKS AGO I WAS ON AIR SAYING
THERE WAS ENOUGH FOOD IN THE
SUPPLY CHAIN BUT THE FIRST
CRACKS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTION
BASED AND WE STARTED TO SEE THAT
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. YOU SHUT DOWN RESTAURANTS, YOU
SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS, AND THE
TRADITIONAL PATHWAY FOR A LOT OF
THESE TRUCKS FROM THE WHOLESALER
AND WAREHOUSE HAS TO BE REROUTED
TO THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY PICKING UP FOOD, THE
GROCERY STORE, THE COMMUNITY
RESOURCE KITCHEN, WHERE SOME
OTHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SPACE,
WHICH IS DOING COMMUNITY
RESOURCE WORK ALOUING PEOPLELOWI
PICK UP GOODS.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A HEALTH CARE
CRISIS WE’RE IN AND, YOU KNOW, I
TALKED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ON THE
SHOW ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE
CRACKS THAT WOULD SOON APPEAR.
WE SAW THAT LAST WEEK WITH
REPORTS FROM THE FARMERS
THEMSELVES THAT CONDITIONS ON
THE FARMS IN THE FACTORIES, ON
THE FISHING BOATS, IN THE CRAB
HOUSES,
HOUSES, HOUSES, PEOPLE WERE NOT
PRACTICING PROPER PHYSICAL
DISTANCING.
DISTANCING. THEY WEREN’T CLEANING PROPERLY.
A LOT OF WORKERS ARE LIVING IN
THOSE PLACES FOUR TO SIX TO A
ROOM TAKING TRANSPORTATION TO
AND FROM WORK AS A GROUP.
AND A LOT OF US WERE TALKING
ABOUT THE FACT THAT IF WE DIDN’T
PROTECT WORKERS IN THE SUPPLY
CHAIN, WE’RE IN TROUBLE.
THE REALITY IS THAT’S WHERE WE
ARE NOW BASED ON THE SMITH FIELD
PROCESSING PLANT SHUTTING DOWN
IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
THAT’S A HOT SPOT IN THAT STATE
FROM A CORONAVIRUS CASE TOTAL
STANDPOINT, RIGHT?
STANDPOINT, RIGHT? IT’S ABOUT 40% OF THE CASES IN
SOUTH DAKOTA ARE IN THAT PLANT
ITSELF.
ITSELF. IT’S RESPONSIBLE FOR 4% OF THE
PORK THAT’S SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. SO WE DO -- WE DO NOW HAVE A
SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEM.
YOU WERE TALKING WITH THE DOCTOR
BEFORE ABOUT THE NECESSITY FOR
TESTING.
TESTING. WE NEED TO BE TESTING AND
RETESTING THESE ESSENTIAL
SKILLED WORKERS AND BEWE NEEDED
HAVE BEEN DOING IT WEEKS AGO.
WE NEED TO GET FRONT LINE
WORKERS AND FOOD PEOPLE,
FARMERS, ANYONE TOUCHING OUR
FOOD IN GROCERY STORES, ET
CETERA, PEOPLE TRUCKING IT ARE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS NOW AND THEY
NEED TO BE PROTECTED, TESTED
BECAUSE THEIR WORKING LIVING
CONDITIONS ARE PHONE TO
TRANSMIT, NOT MITIGATE THE
VIRUS.
VIRUS. >> ANDREW, I’VE BEEN URGED TO
INCLUDE PEOPLE WORKING AT OUR
SUPERMARKETS AS PART OF THE
FRONT LINE TROOPS WHO ARE
ACTUALLY KEEPING US GOING
THROUGH THIS.
THROUGH THIS. >> YES.
>> YES. >> I HAVEN’T BEEN THINKING ALL
THE WAY BACK IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
TO WHAT YOU JUST IDENTIFIED.
THOSE ARE THE FORGOTTEN HEROES
OF THIS STORY.
>> WE’VE KEPT THEM IN THE
SHADOWS.
SHADOWS. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OUR
PREMIERE EPISODE OF "WHAT’S
EATING AMERICA?"
EATING AMERICA?" THE IMMIGRANTS AND UNDOCUMENTED
WORKERS, THE PEOPLE DEMONIZED BY
ADMINISTRATION FOR THE LAST
SEVERAL YEARS, WE’VE ACTUALLY
DISINCENTIVIZE FROM GOING AND
PARTICIPATING IN OUR HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM EVEN SHOWING UP AT THE
EMERGENCY ROOM.
EMERGENCY ROOM. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW,
DON’T HAVE HEALTH CARE.
THEY DON’T HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE.
THEY ARE PAYING INTO THE TAX
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
THEY ARE SKILLED WORKERS.
BUT WE’VE DONE EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE TO DISINCENTIVIZE THEM
FROM HELPING OUT BY TAKING CARE
OF THEMSELVES AT A TIME WHERE IT
IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE ALL BE
TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AS A
WAY TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE
IN OUR COUNTRY.
I’M REALLY, REALLY WORRIED ABOUT
THE WORKERS IN OUR SUPPLY CHAIN.
THE TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, WE’RE A
CAPITALIST SOCIETY.
CAPITALIST SOCIETY. THE STRUCKS WILL FIND THE WAY
WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
CUCUMBERS WILL GROW AGAIN BUT WE
NEED PEOPLE PLANTING THE
CUCUMBERS.
CUCUMBERS. WE NEED PEOPLE CUTTING THE
CHICKENS IN THE CHICKEN
FACTORIES.
FACTORIES. WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
TAKING FISH OUT OF THE OCEAN
WITHOUT PEOPLE IT’S A VERY, VERY
SIMPLE IDEA GOES BACK 10,000