The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural and Urban Settlements in Benin: Do Allotment Gardens Soften the Blow?

A Rapid Food Security Appraisal among 240 rural and urban dwellers in southern Benin was conducted, using univariate and bivariate analyses, to evaluate the effects of the imposed COVID-19 ‘cordon sanitaire’ on food consumption patterns. As this is one of the first empirical studies on the COVID-19 food security nexus, we found that the raging pandemic has affected the food security pillars (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability) in both rural and urban areas, within and outside the cordon sanitaire. The steepest decline was observed among respondents who live inside the cordon sanitaire, where rural producers and urban inhabitants without access to allotment gardens were hit hard. Increased food prices, disruptions in food logistics, and inability to work due to movement restrictions were most frequently indicated as reasons for the decline. Access to allotment gardens effectively supported households in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food crisis.

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Household food security access, and amidst Covid-19: a study case in Equatorial Guinea

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal ◽

10.14738/assrj.810.10840 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 131-145

Author(s):

Emilio Edu Nguema Osea ◽

Wang Jian

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Equatorial Guinea ◽

Living Standard ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Hunger Level ◽

Bioko Island ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Household Food ◽

Rural And Urban

Food is of primary importance for households. Equatorial Guinea (EG) has progressed much in income growth but less in living standard, which includes food security. To situating food–insecurity prevalence in EG, this paper researches household food security-access, and its link-cause to agriculture–considering the Covid-19– using the Household Hunger Scale (HHS). On the data, we surveyed 400 households, imparted in EG rural and urban areas of Bioko Island and the mainland. The results reveal a 2.4 mean for both rural and urban Bioko, placing households at moderate hunger level. On the mainland, rural scores 3.21 (the area most affected), yet falling in moderate hunger level; while the urban scores best 0.64 and stands in the food-safe zone. It derives that diet is rather monotonous and embrace–mainly– carbohydrates rice, bread, cassava, and plantain. A focus on boosting the productivity of staples is paramount for Food security and even national security.

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Differences in the Early Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Livelihoods and in Rural and Urban Areas in the Asia Pacific Region

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab029_030 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 229-229

Author(s):

Yunhee Kang ◽

Anurima Baidya ◽

Alec Aaron ◽

Jun Wang ◽

Christabel Chan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Household Survey ◽

Essential Medicines ◽

Asia Pacific ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Food Stock ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Food Expenditure

Abstract Objectives Lockdowns due to COVID-19 had health, economic, social, and political consequences globally. This study examined if the early impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods and food security differed between rural and urban areas in six Asia-Pacific countries. Methods Secondary data analysis was conducted in May 2029 using a total of 13,522 household survey data collected cross-sectionally among socially disadvantaged populations through a World Vision's rapid response assessment (n = 13,522) in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Changes in food expenditure, availability of various food items, and accessibility and affordability of essential items (staple food, fresh foods, medicine, and hygiene) were tested between rural and urban areas using multivariate logistic regressions, accounting for confounding variables. Results Job loss or reduced income was prevalent (rang: 54.1%–89.6%), higher in urban than rural areas in all six countries. A higher percentage of households reduced food expenditure in urban areas (53.0%–80.3%) than in rural areas (34.2%–66.4%) in India, Myanmar, and Vietnam (all P < 0.001). The proportion of households having no food stock varied in six countries (13.4%-66.0%), with lower odds of available food stocks in urban areas than rural areas (OR range in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar: 0.30–0.53, all P < 0.05). Access to essential items was moderate to high depending on the type of item. Essential medicines were more accessible in urban than in rural areas with an OR range of 1.88–5.63 in India, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Household affordability was low particularly for rent (3.8%-16.6%) and loan repayment (3.3%-19.9%), with higher affordability for rent payments in urban than in rural areas with an OR range of 1.98–22.2 across four countries (P < 0.05). Access and affordability for essential items were better in urban areas than in rural areas in Vietnam. Conclusions Disproportional differences were found in experiencing food security and livelihoods between rural and urban areas in six Asia Pacific countries. An understanding of the differential implications of lockdowns related to COVID-19 by residence can inform specifically recovery policies and guide mitigation efforts. Funding Sources N/A

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Povezivanje životnog okruženja dece i njihovog uključivanja u horove

10.46793/nnu21.577j ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matija Jenko ◽

◽

Barbara Kopačin

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Creative People ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Urban Settlements ◽

Singing Activity ◽

The Republic ◽

At Home

Many studies have been conducted in the field of research on the stimulating domestic music environment, which show that the decision to engage children in music, in addition to internal factors in the family, can be influenced by external factors, such as the environment in which families live, too. Active inclusion of Slovenes in choirs is one of the most widespread free activities in the Republic of Slovenia, because according to the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Culture, more than 64.000 people sing in choirs. However, given that Slovenia is a very diverse country, especially in geographical terms, the mentality of people in different environments is very different, although in Slovenia creative people live in both rural and urban areas. Since in the article we discover, whether singing activity is higher in rural than in urban areas, we will define what both is and what are the characteristics of choirs in Slovenia, and then explore the differences between the above activities of parents and children in both areas. In this paper, we find that there are more active singing groups in urban areas, which include families, where both – children and parents – sing in a choir, than in rural areas, which we attribute to “rurbanization”, which blurs the boundaries between rural and urban settlements and their functions. The paper also confirms the assumption that the stimulating domestic music environment (singing at home, attending concerts with parents and parents' opinion that the stimulating musical environment offered to children at home strongly influences their participation in choirs) is related children's singing in choirs.

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COVID ‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

Oceania ◽

10.1002/ocea.5271 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 90 (S1) ◽

pp. 89-95

Author(s):

Gregoire Randin

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Subsistence Farming ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban

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Collaborative Community Design Processes in Rural and Urban Settlements in Thailand

Nakhara : Journal of Environmental Design and Planning ◽

10.54028/nj2019177180 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

pp. 71-80

Author(s):

Sadanu Sukkasame

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

National Park ◽

Community Organizations ◽

Community Design ◽

Housing Design ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Collaborative Community ◽

Urban Settlements

This paper compares two contrasting processes of low-income community design in rural and urban areas in Thailand. The low-income Srabot community in the urban area is constructing a new settlement on newly purchased land. In parallel, the indigenous Banggloy community is located in the National Park as a community who were forcibly evicted from their village home to an allocated area where they constructed dwellings in the new village. Both cases were supported by housing loans and funding from the Thai Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI)1. The aim of this paper is to examine collaborative learning process based on low-income community design. Both cases employed participatory housing and planning design workshops. The urban community focused on designing the community masterplan. In contrast, the rural indigenous community concentrated on the housing design. In both projects, the occupants were encouraged to be the key actors and to decentralize the solution finding process. The outcome of workshops generated the activities and possible solutions that respect the need for the stakeholders and motivate them to continue to be active.

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Food security in South Africa: are the correlates the same for rural and urban households?

Food Research ◽

10.26656/fr.2017.5(1).298 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 36-42

Author(s):

I.B. Oluwatayo ◽

M.I. Marutha ◽

M.P. Modika

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Educational Status ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Development Goals ◽

Vulnerable Households

Food security is a serious issue topping the developmental agenda of most countries across the globe. This is one of the key issues highlighted in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of which most countries are signatories to. South Africa, a developing country in Africa is not spared of the pang of food insecurity considering the number of inhabitants of the country that are food insecure especially in the rural communities of the country. This review paper, therefore, explores and correlates food security in South Africa to ascertain whether the drivers in the rural and urban areas are the same. Delineation of these correlates is considered to be pertinent for right targeting of the poor and highly vulnerable households and individual since national food security is not tantamount to food security at household and individual levels. The paper concludes that income and educational status of households are key determinants of food security and hence, the need to intensify efforts at enhancing the capacity of households in South Africa through education to translate for better jobs and increase income-earning opportunities.

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Produktif Saat Pandemi melalui Edukasi Hidroponik dan Aquaponik untuk Masyarakat Perkotaan (Studi Kasus: Kota Bekasi, Jawa Barat)

Agrokreatif Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat ◽

10.29244/agrokreatif.7.2.107-114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 107-114

Author(s):

Laily Dwi Arsyianti ◽

Divary Raihan Pratama ◽

Nadia Fauzana ◽

Ryan Arif Basardi

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Limited Area ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

The Family ◽

Cultivation Technology ◽

Food Needs ◽

The City

Indonesia is one of countries affected by the pandemic of Covid-19. All aspects of prevention and countermeasures have been carried out by various parties around the world regarding the pandemic that has occurred from March 2020 to the present. The agricultural sector is of concern because it has an important role and is closely related to national food security, as well as the supporting sector to strengthen Indonesia economy, particularly in such condition. Agriculture also can offer a solution to avoid food crises. One of the activities is to diversify food and not rely entirely on the amount of food in the market. This activity attempts to utilized limited area available in the city, thus it becomes more productive especially during pandemic. The hydroponic and aquaponic system of agricultural cultivation technology provides an alternative to be used as an adequate source of income and can meet family food needs. This technique can be carried out by people who live both in rural and urban areas which is not required a wide space. This activity can strengthen family food security as well as become additional income or even the main income of the family.

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Changing Income Inequality During Structural Transformation

The Oxford Handbook of Structural Transformation ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198793847.013.6 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 126-150

Author(s):

C. Peter Timmer

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Structural Transformation ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Labour Productivity ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Price Increases ◽

Agricultural Employment ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Urban Income

This chapter examines the mutual, two-way dependence of structural transformation and food security. It begins with a discussion of analytical perspectives and policy approaches since 1950, focusing on agricultural development and food price stability as the underlying foundations to both structural transformation and food security. It then considers structural transformation in historical perspective, the link between agricultural productivity and structural transformation, and policy challenges that arise along the path of structural transformation. In particular, it analyses the growing gap between labour productivity in rural and urban areas as rapid industrialization takes place, giving rise to widening rural–urban income gaps. The chapter also explains how Asian countries differ from their non-Asian counterparts in the pattern of agricultural employment change with respect to per capita incomes before assessing a market-oriented approach to economic growth and structural transformation, and a stabilization approach to policy initiatives that prevent sharp price increases in staple foods.

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Comparative analysis of households' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and food security status in urban and rural areas of Kwara and Kogi States of north-central Nigeria

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.51.9290 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (51) ◽

pp. 6027-6054

Author(s):

AE Obayelu ◽

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Rasch Model ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

Rural Children ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Food Security Status ◽

Household Heads

Food security is a critical issue in Nigeria today as the country struggles with high rates of food prices and poverty. This study analysed the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of Household Heads (HHH) and classified them according to food security status. Household level data from the cross-sectional survey was employed in November 2006 to February 2007through a well-structured questionnaire to 396 HHH with a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were analysed through a descriptive statistics and Rasch model. Average age of the HHH was 42.45years with Standard Deviation (SD) of 9.57 years in Rural Areas (RA) against 43.29 years and SD of 9.83 years in Urban Areas (UA). The HHH level of education was much higher in UA compared to RA. The Household Size (HSZ) was 5.88 with SD of 2.29 in RA against 5.91 and SD of 2.17 in UA, and monthly income of N9, 244.86 with SD of N11, 071.77 in RA against N10, 194.15 and SD of N14, 936.30 in UA. The results from Rasch Model for classifying households according to food security status show that differences exist between households’ food security status in rural and urban areas of Kwara and Kogi States. While 15.6% HHH were food secure (FS) in RA of Kogi State, only 11.1% were FS in the RA of Kwara State. On the other hand, 20.7% HHH were FS in UA of Kogi State compared to 17.1% in UA of Kwara State. Disaggregating food security status of adults and children in households separately revealed that, 25.8% adults in RA of Kogi State were FS compared to 19.2% in Kwara, while 24.4% urban adults were FS in Kogi against 23.2% in Kwara. In addition, 40.6% children in RA of Kogi State were FS against 32.3% in Kwara, while only 29.9% Kogi urban children were FS against 46.3% in Kwara. In general, households were more FS in Kogi State compared to Kwara and more FS in UA compared to RA. The rural children in Kogi State were also more FS compared to the urban, while urban children in Kwara were more FS when compared to rural children. In order to improve households’ food security status in both rural and urban areas, there is the need to take into account some significant variables such as reduction in household size through birth control, and increase in household heads’ participation in agricultural activities especially those residing in urban areas through urban agriculture.

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