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Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture, food security and nutrition in Africa

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Accra, Ghana ;

Pages 124 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Category General interest book

ISBN 978-92-5-134764-5

Edition 1

To cite or share https://doi.org/10.4060/cb5911en

Synopsis (short abstract) Since the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, it has gripped the world in two or more different waves in different regions. It has caused tremendous human suffering due to the disease itself and because it triggered the adoption of restrictive measures resulting in disrupted livelihoods for many. The pandemic and related control measures have most impact on the livelihoods of vulnerable populations. The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, in particular, was already reeling under the tremendous burden of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, and hunger, and is thus highly vulnerable to the ongoing direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19. Hence, this publication aims to analyze the direct and/or indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Africa's agrifood systems on various aspects as macroeconomic impact, agricultural production (crops, livestock, and fisheries sectors), markets and value chains, trade, and overall food security by providing a synthesis of studies and reports already published, and the relevant secondary data available. This publication also provides criteria-based priority lists of countries using the composite index methodology, considering the four selected dimensions – the incidence and severity of COVID-19 pandemic, economic vulnerability aggravating factors, food security vulnerability aggravating factors, and the lack of coping capacity. The priority lists generated covering all African countries help focus on those requiring urgent attention from national and international communities for mitigation, recovery, and development.

See the full list of policy briefs related to COVID-19.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2021. Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture, food security and nutrition in Africa. Accra. 

https://doi.org/10.4060/cb5911en

Language English

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