There has been talk recently about the “food supply chain breaking” and being disrupted due to the coronavirus. We wanted to address this, not say whether this statement is correct or incorrect, but more so talk about the bigger picture here. What can we take away from this pandemic and what have we learned so far in order to be more prepared for the future. According to the CDC, a pandemic this large hasn’t happened since 1918 when the H1N1 virus broke out. That was the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century (1918 Pandemic (H1N1 Virus)). Many of us thought we would never see something like this or at least hoped we wouldn’t. Something we can all collectively take away from this experience is getting prepared for anything that may come our way. It is easy to push aside and tell yourself these types of situations won't happen and if they do just deal with it then, but this pandemic has shown the importance of having a plan and being prepared for these types of unprecedented events. 

The Covid-19 pandemic proved just how fragile certain industries are. Food and medical supplies being the top two. Around the world, grocery store shelves were being cleared off due to people panic buying. Same goes for disinfectant items, a small bottle of hand sanitizer was getting prices for around $250 at one point and toilet paper was nowhere to be found. We can all avoid this by having a plan and getting prepared ahead of time. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) recommends having at least 2 weeks of food storage per person and a gallon of water per day per family member in case of a disaster, pandemic, etc. Whether or not the chairman of Tyson Foods is right or wrong about ‘the food supply chain breaking’ having that extra backup plan can give you and your family peace-of-mind.

Saying this, we are sure many of you were on top of this already and were fully prepared, but you may have friends, family or neighbors that are not. ReadyWise is here to help you and help them get prepared. Emergency food supply bundles can be expensive. Something that we can recommend is splitting the cost between friends, families and neighbors. If you are unsure what to buy, we do offer live and friendly product specialists that can help you find exactly what you are looking for as well as fit a budget. Give them a call today at 800-820-1329. 

Ending this on a positive note, there have been a lot of good changes coming out of this pandemic and hopefully more people getting prepared is one of them. Be ‘wise’ by being ‘ready.’

References: 

“1918 Pandemic (H1N1 Virus).” Centers For Disease Control And Prevention a, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services , www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html.

Arkin , Daniel. “Tyson Foods Chairman Warns 'the Food Supply Chain Is Breaking'.” NBC News , 27 Apr. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tyson-foods-chairman-warns-food-supply-chain-breaking-n1193256.

“Food and Water in an Emergency .” Federal Emergency Management Agency , Aug. 2004, www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf.