Panama’s Food Shortage Worsens, Supply Chain Disrupted

In Panama, a vegetable shortage at the pivotal Merca Panamá market is causing scarcities of essential foods like lettuce and potatoes, leading to rising prices.

Bloomberg Línea reports the shortage links to protests. They’re against a law favoring First Quantum Minerals.

This law allows 40 more years of mining. Critics say it was rushed and harms 12,000 hectares of forest.

The new law cancels a past deal struck down in 2017 for possible bribery. The Supreme Court had called it unconstitutional.

Vendor Carlos Pinto says protests cut vegetable supplies. He compares it to last year’s unrest.

Then, food prices and corruption were the issues. Now, potato prices have quadrupled.

Vendor Itza Varela is selling only reserve stocks. Tomatoes, once 80 cents a pound, now cost up to $3.

Ranthy Berard, who runs Merca Panamá, tells of huge losses. Daily, 5,000 to 7,000 quintals of produce don’t arrive.

Sales dropped 80% amid the protests. Supermarkets now fly in food, costing more.

The Chamber of Commerce notes a $90 million daily loss. President Cortizo suggests a public debate on mining.

He awaits the National Assembly’s verdict. The Supreme Court is reviewing three claims against the new mining law.

Background

The situation in Panama reflects a tension between economic development and environmental stewardship.

The protests are a public response to fears of lasting damage to 12,000 hectares of forest, a critical ecosystem.

Such resistance is not new in Panama’s history, which has seen similar clashes over resource use and environmental conservation.

The mining sector is pivotal to Panama’s economy, attracting foreign investment and driving growth.

However, the rapid approval of the new mining law, critics argue, prioritizes economic gains over the country’s ecological and social health.

This has sparked public outcry, demanding more inclusive decision-making.

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