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COVID‐19 in rural Africa: Food access disruptions, food insecurity and coping strategies in Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania
Author(s) -
TabeOjong Martin Paul Jr.,
Gebrekidan Bisrat Haile,
NshakiraRukundo Emmanuel,
Börner Jan,
Heckelei Thomas
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.29
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1574-0862
pISSN - 0169-5150
DOI - 10.1111/agec.12709
Subject(s) - tanzania , food insecurity , food security , probit model , coping (psychology) , poverty , multivariate probit model , probit , environmental health , socioeconomics , covid-19 , business , agriculture , economic growth , geography , economics , psychology , medicine , archaeology , psychiatry , econometrics , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Abstract This study assesses the extent of COVID‐19‐related food insecurity in Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia. Using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, we measure food insecurity in various dimensions and document several food access disruptions associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic between April and July 2020. Furthermore, we assess the association of COVID‐19 countermeasures with the adoption of various strategies in line with the coping strategies index. We rely on a unique phone survey that followed households who participated in an earlier field‐based survey. First, through Ordinary Least‐Squares and Probit regressions, we show a strong and statistically significant association between COVID‐19 countermeasures and food access disruptions and food insecurity in each of the three countries. We then use a multivariate probit regression model to understand the use of the various coping strategies, including reducing food intake, increasing food search, and relying more on less nutritious foods. We provide evidence on the complementarities and trade‐offs in using these coping strategies. COVID‐19 and related lockdown measures coincided with a deleterious increase in food insecurity in rural Africa.