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. 2020 Sep 14:4:13.
doi: 10.1038/s41538-020-00073-0. eCollection 2020.

COVID-19 and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: implications of lockdown during agricultural planting seasons

Ayansina Ayanlade  1 , Maren Radeny  2
Affiliations

COVID-19 and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: implications of lockdown during agricultural planting seasons

Ayansina Ayanlade et al. NPJ Sci Food. .

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic movement restrictions as part of the control measures put in place by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has implications on food security, as movement restrictions coincided with planting periods for most of the staple crops. The measures are affecting important staple crops in SSA, and are likely to exacerbate food security challenges in many countries. Achieving adequate food supply in SSA requires developing better policies and packages to confronting the challenge of reducing hunger post COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons learned after COVID-19 crisis will be very important for African countries to rethink their strategies and policies for sustainable economic growth, as COVID-19 many have significant impacts on all sectors of their economies.

Keywords: Agriculture; Environmental impact.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. The potential crops planting impacts of COVID-19 movement restrictions.
Movement restrictions during the planting periods may increase the potential for food shortage. Nearly 65% of farmers in the countries are smallholder farmers who start rice planting (in green) and maize (in blue) planting mostly in March and April, a period overlapped with COVID-19 movement restrictions.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. The production quantities maps and information on harvesting periods of rice and maize in SSA countries between 1994 and 2018.
Nearly 65% of farmers in the SSA countries are smallholder farmers who harvest rice (a) and maize (b) mostly in July and December. Harvesting periods is likely to be affected by COVID-19 movement restrictions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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