Assessment of the Immediate and Potential Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Outbreak on Socioeconomics, Agriculture, Security of Food and Dietary Intake in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria agriculture, food security and dietary intake have not been exempted from the disruptions in countless sectors around the world due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The country first experienced the outbreak on February 27, 2020, and the experience since then has shown negative effects not only on the socioeconomic conditions but also on agriculture, food security and dietary intake. Long term in-depth analysis of the effects of this pandemic on food security and dietary intake using quantitative data is still very difficult due to paucity of data and the great level of the improbability of the trajectory of the spread of the Virus. This study is a rapid assessment of the short and long-term potential effects of the disease. It relied on a review of situation reports especially by the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control and other reports around the world on COVID-19, personal observations, and public opinion via mobile telephone survey of Lagos and Oyo States, Nigeria. Findings show that food demand and supply shocks caused by COVID-19 outbreak affect agriculture, food and dietary intake negatively through COVID-19 policies. It leads to a reduction in household income coupled with hike in food prices. Owing to the Nigeria's crude farming practice, there was a scarcity of hired labour required for production process during 2020 farming season. This implies a high likelihood of low output and further surge in food prices in the future. Food access was also compromised with the accumulation of unsold fresh produce by the smallholder farmers and the low salary earners during movement restrictions and of loss income as a result of international border closure. Food and dietary intake is affected as people are shifting diets to more affordable and low quality foods, while food stability is not guaranteed due to market insecurity, prompting an extraordinary level of indecision. The study concludes that the shock of COVID-19 is not only a demand management problem but a multidimensional crisis requiring monetary, fiscal, and health policy responses with global collaboration and cooperation.

Conceptualizing Humane Buying and Its Role in Reducing Rural Farmers’ Vulnerability in a Post-Pandemic Era

“…was another response from a different participant. These assertions are in alignment with extant studies (Middendorf et al, 2021;Nchanji & Lutoma, 2021;Parwada, 2020;Bright et al, 2021;Obayelu et al, 2021), and also corroborate the findings from in study one (farmers expressions).However, one participant had different view. According to him "The rural farmers I encountered appeared ready to reap optimally from the Covid-induced scarcity of many farm products.…”

“…A review of the literature indicates that several studies have examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on smallholder rural farmers (e.g., Nchanji & Lutoma 2021;Obayelu et al, 2021;Middendorf, 2021), and possible efforts to scale-up farmers' livelihood and food security (IFAD, 2020;OECD, 2020;ILO, 2020). However, no study explores the role of consumers' helping behaviour (Wilson, 1978), especially altruism, in the form of humane buying in achieving food security and farmers' motivation.…”

Strategi Pengelolaan Usahatani Kelapa Sawit Rakyat Masa Pandemi Covid-19 di Kecamatan STM Hilir Kabupaten Deli Serdang, Provinsi Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

“…Hasil penelitian ini sesuai dengan temuan Nurkhoiry & Oktarina, (2020) yang menyampaikan akibat pandemi covid-19 petani kelapa sawit rakyat, turut mengalami shock pendapatan, akibat kesulitan dalam mengakses input tenaga kerja dan ketidakpastian pasokan input produksi. Pandemi covid-19 juga menyebabkan terganggunya proses pasca panen, terganggunya proses pemasaran hasil pertanian yang menyebabkan penurunan pendapatan petani (Obayelu et al, 2021).…”

“…Berdasarkan hasil wawancara dengan petani responden di daerah penelitian dan mengacu pada penelitian terdahulu terkait dengan dampak pandemi covid-19 terhadap sektor pertanian (Francesconi et al, 2021), dampak pandemi terhadap pendapatan petani (Obayelu et al, 2021) Francesconi et al, (2021) juga menyampaikan akibat pandemi covid-19, petani di Malawi terkendala dalam membeli input usahatani dalam memasuki musim tanam. Disamping itu proses pemasaran hasil pertanian turut terganggu akibat terbatasnya alat transportasi.…”

Factors Associated with Financial Security, Food Security and Quality of Daily Lives of Residents in Nigeria during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Lack of job opportunities is at the core of high poverty levels [29]. More than 80% of the population is employed in the informal economic sector and thus, dependent on daily income [30,31]. Between March and June 2020, the country instituted eight weeks of lockdown to control the pandemic and the total gross domestic product fell by 23% during that time [30].…”