Effects of COVID-19 on the food security status of rural farming households. Evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

For the past couple of decades, food insecurity has become a major global phenomenon, which makes zero hunger the second Sustainable Development Goal. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has set in and posed a serious threat to the food system. Thus, there is a need to assess its effect on food security. This study, therefore, examined the effects of COVID-19 on the food security of rural farming households in Enugu State, Nigeria. Data collected from 120 households were analysed using descriptive statistics, the food security index, and logistic regression. The results revealed that the majority (64.5%) of the households with a shortfall index of 0.313 were food insecure, while only 35.5% were food secure with a surplus index of 0.109. The average daily equivalent calorie consumption of adults in food insecure and food secure households was 1552.52 and 2506.88 kcal, respectively. Low food availability (p<0.01), an increase in food prices (p<0.01), and the inability to harvest crops (p<0.1) increased the probability of food insecurity. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the imposed lockdown has affected household food security. In contrast, access to credit (p<0.01), education (p<0.1), cooperative memberships (p<0.01), and income (p<0.05) positively influenced food security status. Reducing rational consumption, eating less expensive food, skipping meals, 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 support to farmers by governments and NGOs to curb the adverse effects of COVID-19 on food security.