The EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS. EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA
EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS
Keywords:
COVID-19, food insecurity, rural households, smallholder farmers, coping strategies
Abstract
For the past couple of decades, food insecurity is a major global phenomenon which makes zero hunger the second Sustainable Development Goal. Despite this, COVID-19 set-in and posed a serious threat to the food system. Thus, the need to assess its effect on food security arises. This study, therefore, examined the effects of COVID-19 on rural farming households’ food security in Enugu State, Nigeria. Data collected from 120 households were analysed using food security index, logistic regression and Likert rating scale. The results revealed that the majority (64.5%) of the households were food insecure with a shortfall index of 0.313 while only 35.5% were food secure with a surplus index of 0.109. The average daily adult equivalent calorie consumption of food insecure and food secure households were 1552.52 and 2506.88 kcal, respectively. Low availability of food (p<0.01), increase in food price (p<0.01) and inability to harvest crops (p<0.1) increased the probability of being food insecure. Thus, COVID-19 pandemic due to the imposed lockdown disrupted household food security. Whereas, access to credit (p<0.01), education (p<0.1), cooperative memberships (p<0.01) and income (p<0.05) influenced food security status positively. Reducing rational consumption, eating less expensive food, skipping meal, borrowing money to buy food, allowing children to eat first and engaging in additional small-scale productivity activities were the major food insecurity coping strategies adopted by households during COVID-19. The study recommends the provision of farm inputs and financial supports by governments and NGOs to farmers to curb the adverse effects of COVID-19 on food security
References
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Obetta, A. E., Achike, A. I., Mukaila, R., & Bala Taru. (2020). Economic analysis of marketing margin of banana and plantain in Enugu state, Nigeria. African Journal of Agriculture and Food Science, 3(4), 52–62.
Obetta, A. E., Mukaila, R., Onah, O. G., & Onyia, C. C. (2020). Challenges of melon processing among women processors in Enugu-Ezike Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(11), 2421–2425. DOI: 10.24925/turjaf.v8i11.2421-2425.3707
Ololo, E. E., Madueke, O., & Iheonu, A. (2020). Economic Impact of Covid-19 and Policy Implications for Nigeria. Journal of Political Science and Leadership Research, 6(2), 44–52.
Omotesho, O. A., Adewumi, M. O., & Ayinde, O. E. (2006). Determinants of Food Security Among The Rural Farming Households in Kwara State, Nigeria. African Journal of General Agriculture, 2(1), 7–15.
Onyekwena C. & Ekeruche M. A. (2020). Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Nigerian economy. Retrieved February 8, 2021 at https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/04/08/understanding-the-impact-of-the-covid-19-outbreak-on-the-nigerian-economy accessed on 12/12/2020.
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Ajibo, H. (2020). Effect of Covid-19 on Nigerian Socio-economic Well-being, Health Sector Pandemic Preparedness and the Role of Nigerian Social Workers in the War Against Covid-19. Social Work in Public Health, 35(7), 511–522. DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2020.1806168
Akanbi, O. S.-U., Oloruntola, D. S., Olatunji, S. O., & Mukaila, R. (2020). Economic analysis of poultry egg production in Kwara State, Nigeria. Journal of Economics and Allied Research, 4(3), 57–71.
Amare, M., Abay, K. A., Tiberti, L., & Chamberlin, J. (2020). Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: panel data evidence from Nigeria. Partnership for Economic Policy, Working Paper 2020-21.
Andam, K., Edeh, H., Oboh, V., Pauw, K., & Thurlow, J. (2020). Impacts of COVID-19 on food systems and poverty in Nigeria. In Advances in Food Security and Sustainability 5 (1), 145-173. DOI: 10.1016/bs.af2s.2020.09.002
Aromolaran, A. B., Issa, F. O. & Muyanga, M. (2020). The unintended consequences of COVID19 lockdown in Nigeria. In: Future Agricultures [online]. Retrieved March 5, 2021 at https://www.future-agricultures.org/blog/the-unintended-consequences-of-covid19-lockdown-in-nigeria/
Babatunde, R. O., Omotesho, O. A., & Sholotan, O. S. (2007). Socio-Economics Characteristics and Food Security Status of Farming Households in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 6(1), 49–58.
Devereux, S., Béné, C., & Hoddinott, J. (2020). Conceptualising COVID-19's impacts on household food security. Food security, 12, 769-772. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1007/S12571-020-01085-0
Egwue, O. L., Agbugba, I. K., & Mukaila, R. (2020). Assessment of rural households food insecurity during covid-19 pandemic in South-east Nigeria. International Journal of Research -Granthaalayah, 8(12), 182–194. DOI: 10.29121/granthaalayah.v8.i12.2020.2713
Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics (FAO) (2020a). Nigeria: Hunger and food insecurity. Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nation. Retrieved March 6, 2021 at http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#country/159
FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP & WHO. (2020). The State of food security and nutrition in the world 2020. Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets. Rome, FAO. Retrieved March 6, 2021 at https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9692en
FAO (2020b). Commodity food prices in Nigeria. In: FAO food price monitoring and analysis [online]. Rome. Retrieved March 5, 2021 at http://www.fao.org/giews/food-prices/home/en/
FAO (2020c). Nigeria revised humanitarian response (May–December 2020): Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Rome. Retrieved March 5, 2021 at http://www.fao.org/3/cb0194en/CB0194EN.pdf
FAO. (2021). National agrifood systems and COVID-19 in Nigeria: Effects, policy responses and long term implications. Rome. Retrieved June 17, 2021 at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb3631en
Frimpong, S., & Asuming-Brempong, S. (2013). Comparative study of determinants of food security in rural and urban households of Ashanti Region, Ghana. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(10), 29–42.
Gabriel, J. M. O., Keremah, O. M., Okpara, E. N., Isaac, S. N., Francis, W. N., & Mills, R. B. (2020). A multi-sectoral assessment of the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic outbreak on organisational functionality in Nigeria. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 4(6), 918–930.
Global Hunger Index (2019). Forced Migration and Hunger. Retrieved March 5, 2021 at http://www.globalhungerindex.org/nigeria.html
Greene, W. H. (2005). Econometric Analysis. New York: Pearson Education.
Gujarati, D. N. (2004). Basic Econometric. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.
Hassan, Z., Hashim, M. J., & Khan, G. (2020). Population risk factors for COVID-19 deaths in Nigeria at sub-national level. Pan African Medical Journal, 35(2), 1–10. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.131.25258
Ibrahim, H. Y., Adeola, S. S., & Ibrahim, H. I. (2016). Determinants of food insecurity among farming households in Katsina State, North-Western Nigeria: an ordinal logit regression approach. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 61(3), 291–301. DOI: 10.2298/JAS1603291I
Jacob, O. N., Abigeal, I., & Lydia, A. E. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on the Higher Institutions Development in Nigeria. Electronic Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2, 126- 135.
Millennium, T., & Goals, D. (2015). The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015.
Mukaila, R., Falola, A., & Omotesho, O. A. (2020). Food security status: its drivers and coping strategies among vegetable farming households. Cercetări Agronomice În Moldova, 53(4), 414–425. DOI: 10.46909/cerce-2020-035
Mukaila, R., Obetta, A. E., Awoyelu, F. E., Chiemela, C. J., & Ugwu, A. O. (2021). Marketing analysis of vegetables: The case of carrot and cucumber marketing in Enugu State, Nigeria. Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 9(2), 346–351. DOI: 10.24925/turjaf.v9i2.346-351.4000
NAERLS, & FMARD. (2020). Wet Season Agricultural Performance in Nigeria. NAERLS Press, Zaria.
National Population Commission. (2006). Population Figures. Abuja (FCT): NPC.
Nigeria Millennium Development Goals - MDGs (2015). End-point report. Retrieved March 5, 2021 at www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/mdg/nigeria-mdg-end-point-report-2015.html
Nnabuife, E. K., Okoli, I. . E. N., & Anugwu, C. C. (2020). Informal sector and Nigerian economic prospects: The Covid-19 experience. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 5(4), 1–5. DOI: 10.24018/ejbmr.2020.5.4.397
Obayori, J. B., Nchom, H., & Yusuf, L. O. (2020). Economics of pandemic in Nigeria: The COVID-19. British International Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 7(4), 1–6.
Obetta, A. E., Achike, A. I., Mukaila, R., & Bala Taru. (2020). Economic analysis of marketing margin of banana and plantain in Enugu state, Nigeria. African Journal of Agriculture and Food Science, 3(4), 52–62.
Obetta, A. E., Mukaila, R., Onah, O. G., & Onyia, C. C. (2020). Challenges of melon processing among women processors in Enugu-Ezike Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(11), 2421–2425. DOI: 10.24925/turjaf.v8i11.2421-2425.3707
Ololo, E. E., Madueke, O., & Iheonu, A. (2020). Economic Impact of Covid-19 and Policy Implications for Nigeria. Journal of Political Science and Leadership Research, 6(2), 44–52.
Omotesho, O. A., Adewumi, M. O., & Ayinde, O. E. (2006). Determinants of Food Security Among The Rural Farming Households in Kwara State, Nigeria. African Journal of General Agriculture, 2(1), 7–15.
Onyekwena C. & Ekeruche M. A. (2020). Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Nigerian economy. Retrieved February 8, 2021 at https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/04/08/understanding-the-impact-of-the-covid-19-outbreak-on-the-nigerian-economy accessed on 12/12/2020.
Oyebanjo, O., Ambali, O. I., & Akerele, E. O. (2013). Determinants of food security status and incidence of food insecurity among rural farming households in Ijebu division of Ogun State Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Science and Environment, 13, 92–103.
Salau, S. A., Aliu, R. O., & Nofiu, N. B. (2019). The effect of sustainable land management technologies on farming household food security in Kwara state, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 64(2), 203–214. DOI: 10.2298/JAS1902203S
Swinnen, J. (2020). Will COVID-19 Cause Another Food Crisis? An Early Review, Issue Post, April 10, 2020. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC. Retrieved December 13, 2020 at https://www.ifpri.org/blog/will-covid-19-cause-another-food-crisis-early-review
UNDP. (2020a). The Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: Potential impact of lockdown policies on poverty and well-being - Brief 3. In: UNDP Nigeria [online]. Abuja. Retrieved February 5, 2021 at https://www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/the-covid-19-pandemic-in-nigeria--potential-impact-of-lockdown-p.html
UNDP. (2020b). The Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: Citizen perceptions and the secondary impacts of COVID-19 - Brief 4. In: UNDP Nigeria [online]. Abuja. Retrieved January 5, 2021 at https://www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/mdg/the-covid-19-pandemic-in-nigeria--citizen-perceptions-and-the-se.html
World Bank (2019). Poverty and equity brief. Nigeria: Country Indicators. http://povertydata.worldbank.org/poverty/country/NGA
Yusuf, S. A., Balogun, O. L., & Falegbe, O. E. (2015). Effect of urban household farming on food security status in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 60(1), 61–75. DOI: 10.2298/JAS1501061Y
Published
2024/03/30
Section
Original Scientific Paper