Image Source: Associated Press

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.

Food workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic are testing positive for the virus and beginning to die. Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Giant reported four deaths and meat packing giants Tyson Foods and JBS reported three deaths. The news exposes the fragility of global supply chains that are needed to keep grocery stores stocked amid panic buying and empty shelves.

As a result of the restaurant and school closures, the seafood industry has reported an 85% loss in revenue. Meanwhile,  the dairy industry expects to lose $5 to $10b in sales over the next six months.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put more than 10 million independent restaurant workers at risk of losing their jobs for good. Across sectors, businesses are being forced to pivot their business models as consumers go on lockdown and change their buying habits. This round-up features many of the ways the pandemic is impacting all parts of the food industry.

In an effort to do our part and support the community we love so dearly, we have compiled a list of resources and organizations that are providing support to those in need. We are also offering free job postings to anyone who is looking to employ people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Resources: We have compiled a database of resources for those in the food industry impacted by the pandemic here. Please add your own resources as well.
• Jobs: We need to band together to support everyone across the food system who has lost their job due to the pandemic. Use code “coronavirusfoodjobs” to post remote or remote-friendly food jobs on our job board for free.

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Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

1. Grocery Workers Are Beginning to Die of Coronavirus – Washington Post

At least four people – who had worked at Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Giant – have died from covid-19 in recent days. Thousands of grocery store employees have continued to report to work as US infections and death rates continue to climb.

2. Deaths Expose Fears for Strength of US Food Supply Chain – Bloomberg

At least three people who worked at plants owned by Tyson Foods and JBS were reported to have died from the pandemic. Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that these workers are “vital,” calling on them to “show up and do your job” to keep the nation fed.

3. Seventy Percent of Seafood Is Purchased When Dining Out. What Happens When the Nation Is Ordered to Stay Home? – The Counter

Fishermen and processors say they’ve lost up to 85% of their revenue. They also worry: Will there be any restaurants left when the pandemic ends?

4. Dairy Groups Plead for Relief Amid Covid-19 Impacts – Food Business News

The dairy industry expects to lose $5 to $10b in sales over the next six months. Groups representing dairy farmers in the Midwest urged the USDA to purchase mass quantities of dairy commodities and provide direct aid to farmers.

5. Indian Online Grocery Startup BigBasket Raises $60M – TechCrunch

Alibaba, Mirae Asset and CDC Group led the round, bringing the startup’s valuation above $1b. The startup is aggressively trying to hire more delivery staff. The volume of orders has surged by up to five times in recent weeks.

6. Some Restaurant Relief Funds Are So Overwhelmed With Applications They’ve Stopped Taking New Ones – Eater

Nonprofits and trade associations are already overwhelmed. ROC received 10k financial assistance applications in one week, while the James Beard Foundation received 4.2k applications in just a few hours.

7. New York’s New Soup Kitchen Has an Upscale Address: Eleven Madison Park – New York Times

A group called Rethink has teamed up with the Michelin-starred restaurant to feed New Yorkers in need.

8. Restaurant Sales Could Drop 27.1% in Worst-Case Coronavirus Scenario – Restaurant Dive

If new COVID-19 cases peak and start to decline in May, restaurants and bars can expect at 11.4% decline in business. The worst-case scenario would be a second wave of outbreaks in Q4, which would result in a decline in sales of 27.1%.

9. Big Restaurant, Hotel Chains Won Exemption to Get Small Business Loans – Wall Street Journal

While the new $350b Paycheck Protection Program is aimed at businesses with 500 or fewer employees, big restaurant and hotel chains can participate regardless of how many people they employ.

10. FoundersGive Brings Together 200+ Brands to Support Frontline Workers – Nosh

The group has collected over half a million products from roughly 230 brands. The items are redistributed to nine local New York City hospitals, with 16 more expected to come online next week.

11. Key Food Prices Are Surging After Virus Upends Supply Chains – Bloomberg

As the coronavirus pandemic penetrates more deeply into global supply chains, prices for key staples are starting to soar in some parts of the world.

12. New Fund Coefficient Capital to Back Omnichannel Businesses – BevNet

The fund raised $170m for its first fund last week. It is looking for food, beverage, pet and personal care companies with $4 to $5m in trailing 12-month revenue.

13. India’s Swiggy Raises $43M to Expand to New Businesses – TechCrunch

Existing investor Tencent and new players Ark Impact, Korea Investment Partners,  Samsung Ventures and Mirae Asset Capital Markets financed the new tranche.

14. Online Grocery Shopping Becoming Available to a Quarter of SNAP Recipients – The Fern

With the addition of California and Arizona, it will be an option in eight states, with a combined 10m SNAP participants, a quarter of national food stamp rolls. The USDA said it would consider requests from other states for the service.

15. Why NYC’s Undocumented Restaurant Workers Are the Forgotten Victims of the Shutdown – Eater

Despite being a critical part of the hospitality industry, undocumented immigrants face a reality with little help from the government—or their employers.

16. Is This the Start of a CSA Boom? – Eater

As home cooks practice social distancing, farm produce that skips the store makes sense.

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