2021

To date, around 1.4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, at a ratio of nearly 24 million jabs given each day. Despite the large number of doses given, the majority have been distributed in a few western countries. In a recent media briefing, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged wealthier countries to donate vaccine doses to the COVAX scheme, pointing out that currently, low-income nations only receive 0.3 % of the coronavirus vaccines supply.
 
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently published a report showing that the OECD area unemployment rate declined slightly in March 2021 to 6.5%, a 0.1% decrease compared to the previous month. However, the unemployment rate is still 1.2% higher than in February 2020, just before the beginning of the pandemic.

On May 6, the United Nations (UN) published a set of guidelines aimed at helping the maritime industry protect seafarers’ human rights. The guidelines, co-developed by the UN, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), were developed following reports of around 400,000 seafarers being stranded at sea as a result of COVID-19 restrictions on travel and transit.
 
On May 11, the UN published the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) mid-year update. According to the report, although the outlook for global growth has improved, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in many poorer countries, as well as their lack of access to vaccination programs, are putting such recovery at risk.
 
The report also highlights that, while a strong rebound in global trade was observed for economies heavily reliant on manufacturing, countries that depend on tourism are unlikely to experience a quick recovery.

In a recent online Forum event presented by the UNECE’s UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), the agency presented a series of recommendations and e-business standards aimed to help boost trade and e-commerce and to promote recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
 
The Forum highlighted how digital information systems (such as trade information portals, supply chain track and trace systems) can have a positive impact on collaboration between stakeholders, as well as promoting the transition towards a digital economy.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent epidemiology update reported that new COVID-19 cases slightly decreased in the past week. Increased caseloads were instead observed in South East Asia and Western Pacific regions, with India accounting for around 50% of the global cases and 30% of global deaths.
 
On May 7, the WHO approved China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, therefore paving the way for its inclusion in the COVAX program. The vaccine, produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, is recommended for adults 18 and older, with a two-dose schedule spaced over a period of three to four weeks.

On May 10, the WHO announced that the B.1.617 coronavirus variant, first sequenced in India (the so-called “Indian variant”) was now being classified as a “variant of concern”. The new classification is based on early evidence that B.1.617 showed higher transmissibility.

In a recent meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that a more equal vaccine distribution worldwide was necessary to stimulate the economic recovery from the pandemic. Moreover, due to the developing countries’ poor access to jabs, foreign direct investments and trade will struggle to recover to pre-pandemic values.

The vaccination campaign in Australia is progressing, with nearly 3 million doses administered so far. According to a recent press release by ABC News, the Australian government has agreed to a deal with the vaccine producer Moderna for a supply of 25 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.

On May 8, Brazil surpassed the 15 million cases recorded. New infections are declining compared to the March peak, however around 2,000 daily deaths are currently being reported. According to Reuters, the Brazilian government has pledged around $1 billion of federal spending towards the production, supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

New COVID-19 cases and deaths in Chile are finally decreasing. On May 13, the government lifted the lockdown in the capital city of Santiago, although restrictions will still apply during the weekends.

On May 13, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published its latest weekly surveillance report. Based on the data collected by the agency, the 14-day case notification rate for the EU/EEA was 277 per 100,000 population, decreasing for five weeks in a row. Hospitalization rates in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are still at high levels or have been increasing in most EU/EEA countries, whereas the mortality rate has been decreasing for the past two weeks.
 
On May 12, the European Commission published its Spring 2021 Economic Forecast. According to the report, the EU economy is set to expand by 4.2% in 2021 and by 4.4% in 2022, a 0.4% increase compared to the previous winter assessment. The latest forecast indicates that EU economies should recover to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022, as vaccination rates increased and restrictions are eased. Unemployment levels however are predicted to remain higher than pre-crisis levels for the next two years.
 
“The shadow of COVID-19 is beginning to lift from Europe's economy”, said the EU Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni.
 
In a recent press release by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm urged Member States to jointly restrict travel to and from India temporarily, aiming to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus Variant of Concern (VOC) B.1.617.2 (also known as “Indian variant”). For people traveling for essential reasons, the Commission called on Member States to apply additional restricting measures such as additional testing and quarantine arrangements, regardless of whether travelers have been vaccinated.

In recent news by Euractiv, the Belgian government announced a five-step gradual easing of its COVID-19 restriction, starting from June 9. From the next month, hospitality venues will be allowed to reopen indoor activities between 8 am and 10 pm. Entertainment and sporting venues will also reopen, while weddings and funerals will be allowed with up to 100 participants indoors or 200 people outdoors.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Germany has recorded around 3.4 million cases and more than 84,000 deaths. New COVID-19 infections have been steadily decreasing for three weeks: the current national 7-day incidence has decreased to 129 cases per 100,000 population. According to a recent report by the Robert Koch Institute, nearly one-third of Germany’s population received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine.
 
On May 14, the German newspaper Die Welle published a press release stating that the country’s government included the UK in the list of countries considered at “high risk” for coronavirus infection, due to the increased incidence in the British isles of the variant of concern, “Indian variant”, recently reported by the UK government.

Currently, every Italian region (except for Valle d’Aosta) is classified as a low-risk “yellow area”, thus allowing free movement between regions from 5 am to 10 pm. Hospitality venues are allowed to open outdoor terraces only until June 1, when bars and restaurants will be also allowed to reopen indoor.
 
According to Reuters, a recent study carried out by Italy's National Institute of Health (ISS) and the country’s ministry of health, highlighted that the COVID-19 vaccines currently administered in Italy were able to prevent around 80% of COVID-19 infections in adults five weeks after the first dose was administered. Moreover, a further 90% reduction in hospitalizations and 95% reduction in deaths were observed.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Netherlands are decreasing, although the pressure on the healthcare system remains elevated. Despite this, the Dutch government is set to announce further relaxation measures, which would allow for longer opening hours for the hospitality sector and the reopening of sport venues.

On May 9, the Spanish government ended the country’s state of alarm, thus allowing for the first time in months free movement between autonomous communities. Several communities, however, are currently debating the introduction of local measures to avoid a possible resurgence in cases.
 
Meanwhile, the vaccination campaign is progressing: nearly 7 million people, accounting for around 15% of Spain’s population, are now fully vaccinated. Moreover, the government reportedly announced plans to extend the vaccination offered to people under 50 years of age.

India’s second wave continues, with around 350,000 cases and 4,000 deaths being reported daily. New infections are increasing outside the urban areas, thus posing additional strain to the healthcare in the countryside.
 
In recent news, from Reuters, rating agency Moody's highlighted that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in India will hinder the economic recovery for the year and potentially curb long-term growth. Moreover, the agency predicts a wider fiscal deficit and increased public debt for the next two years, compared to previous estimations.

The country is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, with 7 prefectures reporting record daily highs. As result, on May 14, the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reportedly announced the prorogation of the containment measures currently in place until May 31. Moreover, the state of emergency has been extended to the prefectures of Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima. 

New cases have been rising in the past week, bringing the total caseload to more than 130,000. The vaccination campaign is also ramping up: on May 13, a shipment of 850,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine was delivered.
 
According to The Korea Times, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported that more than one in four COVID-19 patients recently screened were infected with a coronavirus variant.

New COVID-19 cases have been steadily dropping for the past four weeks: on May 14, the country recorded around 13,000 new cases, down from 63,000 at the start of the April wave. As cases decrease, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly announced on May 12 that the coronavirus restriction would be gradually eased by the end of Eid al-Fitr holiday on May 17.

COVID-19 cases and deaths in the UK are at their lowest since last August. However, local spikes in new infections have been reported in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the 14-day incidence as high as 199.9.
 
On May 3, Public Health England announced that more than 50 million vaccine doses have been administered: around 34 million people have received at least one dose, whereas 15 million are now fully vaccinated.
 
Since May 17, international travel to and from the UK restarted, following an announcement made by the British Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps. However, different levels of restriction will be applied to individuals returning to England from countries based on a “traffic light system”. Currently, only 12 countries are on the “green list”: passengers who have visited or transited through one of these nations will not be required to quarantine on arrival in England.

With COVID-19 cases continuing to fall and around 100 million people already fully vaccinated, coronavirus restrictions are loosening for fully immunized Americans. According to the most recent guidance published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting.
 
On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a news release announcing that it had expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. The US is the second country to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech jab for an underage group, after Canada’s approval on May 5.
 
The information above is a review of actions the INC has compiled from government sources, international organizations and press media. This news article is not intended to be exhaustive and it does not reflect the opinions of the INC. While the publishers believe that all information contained in this publication was correct at the time of publishing, they can accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may appear or loss suffered directly or indirectly by any reader as a result of any advertisement, editorial, photographs or other materials published in this news article.

According to the data analyzed, both nut and dried fruit supply and consumption are on the rise. The publication first summarizes the world dynamics in production and consumption of each nut and dried fruit over the last decade, and then analyzes them in detail. These studies cover the following topics:

The data analysis indicates that the total production of tree nuts (kernel basis, except pistachios in-shell) has continuously risen in the last decade, reaching over 5.3 million metric tons in 2020/21, up by 65% from 10 years ago and 15% from the previous season. Last season largest crops were almonds with 31% of the world share, followed by walnuts and pistachios (19% each), cashews (16%) and hazelnuts (10%), respectively. Pecans, macadamias, Brazil nuts and pine nuts represented the remaining 5%. Concomitantly, tree nut exports (shelled, with exception of in-shell pistachios), also reflected a positive trajectory with an average growth of 103,000 MT per year, hitting over 2.9 million MT in 2019. Global consumption, estimated at 4.6 million MT, showed an annual growing trend of 181,000 MT/year, on average.
 
World peanut production in 2020/21 totaled over 47.5 million MT, a 7% increase over the previous season and a 33% increase over 2011/12, continuing the positive trend observed over the previous ten years. China accounted for 37% of the world crop, with India accounting for 14%. Nigeria (8%), the US (6%), Senegal, and Argentina (3% each) were the next leading producers. In 2019, total shelled peanut exports reached 2.4 million MT, and grew by an average annual rate of 136,000 MT over the last decade. Global demand, estimated at 42 million MT, increased at an average rate of 1 million MT per year between 2010 and 2019.
 
Similarly, dried fruit production has increased over the last decade, reaching 2.9 million MT in 2020/21, 22% above 2011/12. Dried grape production (raisins, Sultanas, and currants) accounted for 42% of global production, with table dates accounting for 35%. The remaining 23% was split into dried cranberries (7%), dried apricots (6%), prunes and figs (5% each). Dried fruit exports totaled approximately 2.8 million MT in 2019, increasing at a steady rate of about 130,000 MT/year. On average, overall consumption has risen by 80,000 MT per year.

Read the Statistical Yearbook here.