Building Resilient African Food Systems after COVID-19: ReSAKSS 2021 Annual Trends and Outlook Report

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Annual Trends

The report assesses the impacts of COVID-19 on African economies and food systems, examines African governments' responses to the pandemic, including the expansion of social protection, discusses measurement and methodological issues related to gauging countries' vulnerability and resilience to crises, and makes recommendations to ensure the recovery and resilience of African food systems. The report also reviews progress in CAADP implementation and examines the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the CAADP Results Framework indicators.

Theories of the food insecurity ‘problem’ and the right to food ‘solution’

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Lambie-Mumford
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Acceptability ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Right To Food ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
Sufficient Food

Chapter 3 sets out the key theories with which the book engages: food insecurity and the human right to food. Following on from a conceptualisation and definition of food insecurity, the right to food is introduced. Emphasis is placed on normative element of ‘adequacy and sustainability of food availability and access’ and on the state’s obligation to ‘respect, protect and fulfil the right to food’. Theories of ‘othering’ and ‘agency’ are employed to assess the social acceptability of emergency food systems as a means of acquiring food, and the power of providers to make sufficient food available through these systems and of potential recipients to access it. Theories of ‘care’ and ‘social protection’ are employed to explore the ways in which charitable providers are in practice taking responsibility for the duty to respect, protect and fulfil the right to food and how shifts in welfare policy are affecting need for this provision.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid-19 on Livelihoods and Food Security

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thompson, John Thompson, John ◽  
Njuguna Ndung’u ◽  
Miguel Albacete ◽  
Abid Q. Suleri ◽  
Junaid Zahid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Food System ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Equity Core

Studies of livelihoods and food systems since the start of the global pandemic in 2020 have shown a consistent pattern: the primary risks to food and livelihood security are at the household level. Covid-19 is having a major impact on households’ production and access to quality, nutritious food, due to losses of income, combined with increasing food prices, and restrictions to movements of people, inputs and products. The studies included in this Research for Policy and Practice Report and supported by the Covid-19 Responses for Equity (CORE) Programme span several continents and are coordinated by leading research organisations with a detailed understanding of local food system dynamics and associated equity and livelihood issues in their regions: (1) the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa; (2) supporting small and medium enterprises, food security, and evolving social protection mechanisms to deal with Covid-19 in Pakistan; and (3) impact of Covid-19 on family farming and food security in Latin America: evidence-based public policy responses.

scholarly journals Youth Participation in Agriculture: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9120
Author(s):  
Wendy Geza ◽  
Mjabuliseni Ngidi ◽  
Temitope Ojo ◽  
Adetoso Adebiyi Adetoro ◽  
Rob Slotow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Food System ◽  
Youth Participation ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Context Specific

Providing economic opportunities for youth in agriculture is essential to securing the future of agriculture in Africa, addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality. However, barriers limit youth participation in agriculture and the broader food system. This scoping review aimed to investigate the opportunities and challenges for youth in participating in agriculture and the food system in Africa. This review conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA guideline. Published studies were retrieved from online databases (Web of Science, Cab Direct, and Science Direct) for 2009 to 2019. The findings showed that existing agricultural interventions are production-centric and provide low-income earnings and inadequate social protection. We also found that the youth have pessimistic perceptions about agriculture’s capability of improving their living standards. This could be ascribed to the minimal youth involvement in agricultural activities and the youth’s shared understanding of the agricultural sector’s contribution to general economic growth. From a policy perspective, the literature revealed that current agricultural development programs do not adequately address structural issues underpinning youth participation in the economy. Therefore, to enhance the involvement of youths in agriculture, there is a need for policy implementation in the area of integrated agricultural-based interventions that are context-specific and promote meaningful youth participation in shaping future food systems.

scholarly journals Mitigating COVID-19 effects on farmers: The role of commissioners of agriculture in Nigeria

Agro-Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
M.A. Idu ◽  
C.S. Onyenekwe
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
First Case

In Nigeria, agriculture plays a critical role in the economy and remains the key to the country’s economic diversification plan. However, the agricultural sector is facing numerous challenges such as climate change, widespread insecurity, price volatility, poor government policies and the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the already existing problems. This paper reviews the state of the COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria and its effects on the agricultural sector and outlines the role of commissioners of agriculture in mitigating the effects of the pandemic on farmers with a view to catalyzing sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. When the first case of COVID-19 was reported in February, 2020, the Federal government of Nigeria took some measures to help curb the spread of the virus. Although, these measures were critical to saving lives, they also significantly caused a disruption in agricultural activities and food systems in several ways such as decline in availability of farm labour and mechanization, limited availability of agricultural inputs, decline in food imports and exports, reduction in food supply, decline in household income and food consumption, increased food insecurity, panic buying and sharp price spikes. This paper suggests that commissioners of agriculture have important roles to play to help mitigate these negative impacts on agricultural livelihoods and food systems. These include a push for a bill to integrate social protection mechanisms into the Nigerian legal framework, lobby for increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector, formulation of good agricultural policies and provision of adequate infrastructures, organization of these farmers into farming clusters to help stimulate agglomeration economies by integrating agricultural value chains and development strategies, and frameworks and initiatives that will ensure a seamless transition from emergency response to resilience building. Key words: Coronavirus disease, government interventions, agrarian development, food production

scholarly journals Federalism and fragmentation: Addressing the possibilities of a food policy for Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-48
Author(s):  
Sarah Berger Richardson ◽  
Nadia Lambek
Keyword(s):  
Federal Government ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Policy Coherence ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Exclusive Jurisdiction ◽  
Division Of Powers ◽  
Transnational Actors

Canadian federalism poses unique challenges for the development of a national food policy. Under the Constitution Act, 1867, the federal government and the provinces are granted powers to govern exclusively in certain areas and to share jurisdiction in others. Where one level of government has exclusive jurisdiction, the other level of government is not permitted to interfere. However, good food system governance requires addressing policy coherence and coordination horizontally, across sectors such as agriculture, trade, health, finance, environment, immigration, fisheries, social protection, and vertically between the federal government, the provinces, and international and transnational actors. The development of a national food policy for Canada offers an opportunity to harmonize law and policymaking, and clarify the key roles that all levels of government play in the development and governance of food systems. This will require identifying sites of conflict and overlap, but also spaces for collaboration, coordination, and innovation. A national food policy will necessarily have to work within the constraints of Canadian constitutional law, but federalism and the division of powers can be harnessed to create a more just, equitable, democratic and sustainable food system.  

scholarly journals Increased vulnerability of family farming in the context of a weakened FNS agenda due to austerity measures in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Carlos Germano Ferreira Costa
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Territorial Development ◽  
Family Farming ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Zero Hunger ◽  
High Level

<p>SDG goals of ending poverty and achieving Zero Hunger must address the nexus of a transformational shift in the Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) Agenda, integrating more sustainable food systems, territorial development, sustainable infrastructure, fiscal and economic elements to robust social protection schemes. By considering Family Farming government expenditure budget, the slowing and stalled economic growth, and political and fiscal policy developments. We discuss Brazil's high-level government budgetary interventions, the governance and institutional contexts affecting food security as indicators of how aggressive budgetary and institutional measures have negatively impacted the nation's social protection policy environment, resilience, and sustainable development perspectives.</p>

scholarly journals A new understanding and evaluation of food sustainability in six different food systems in Kenya and Bolivia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Jacobi ◽  
Stellah Mukhovi ◽  
Aymara Llanque ◽  
Markus Giger ◽  
Adriana Bessa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Food System ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Right To Food ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Poverty And Inequality ◽  
The Right

Abstract Food systems must become more sustainable and equitable, a transformation which requires the transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge. We present a framework of food sustainability that was co-created by academic and non-academic actors and comprises five dimensions: food security, right to food, environmental performance, poverty and inequality, and social-ecological resilience. For each dimension, an interdisciplinary research team—together with actors from different food systems—defined key indicators and empirically applied them to six case studies in Kenya and Bolivia. Food sustainability scores were analysed for the food systems as a whole, for the five dimensions, and for food system activities. We then identified the indicators with the greatest influence on sustainability scores. While all food systems displayed strengths and weaknesses, local and agroecological food systems scored comparatively highly across all dimensions. Agro-industrial food systems scored lowest in environmental performance and food security, while their resilience scores were medium to high. The lowest-scoring dimensions were right to food, poverty and inequality, with particularly low scores obtained for the indicators women’s access to land and credit, agrobiodiversity, local food traditions, social protection, and remedies for violations of the right to food. This qualifies them as key levers for policy interventions towards food sustainability.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation strategies: implications for maternal and child health and nutrition

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Akseer ◽  
Goutham Kandru ◽  
Emily C Keats ◽  
Zulfiqar A Bhutta
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Services ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Child Undernutrition ◽  
Maternal And Child Nutrition

ABSTRACT Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to ravage health and economic metrics globally, including progress in maternal and child nutrition. Although there has been focus on rising rates of childhood wasting in the short term, maternal and child undernutrition rates are also likely to increase as a consequence of COVID-19 and its impacts on poverty, coverage of essential interventions, and access to appropriate nutritious foods. Key sectors at particular risk of collapse or reduced efficiency in the wake of COVID-19 include food systems, incomes, and social protection, health care services for women and children, and services and access to clean water and sanitation. This review highlights key areas of concern for maternal and child nutrition during and in the aftermath of COVID-19 while providing strategic guidance for countries in their efforts to reduce maternal and child undernutrition. Rooted in learnings from the exemplars in Global Health's Stunting Reduction Exemplars project, we provide a set of recommendations that span investments in sectors that have sustained direct and indirect impact on nutrition. These include interventions to strengthen the food-supply chain and reducing food insecurity to assist those at immediate risk of food shortages. Other strategies could include targeted social safety net programs, payment deferrals, or tax breaks as well as suitable cash-support programs for the most vulnerable. Targeting the most marginalized households in rural populations and urban slums could be achieved through deploying community health workers and supporting women and community members. Community-led sanitation programs could be key to ensuring healthy household environments and reducing undernutrition. Additionally, several COVID-19 response measures such as contact tracing and self-isolation could also be exploited for nutrition protection. Global health and improvements in undernutrition will require governments, donors, and development partners to restrategize and reprioritize investments for the COVID-19 era, and will necessitate data-driven decision making, political will and commitment, and international unity.

scholarly journals Food Security and COVID-19 in Africa: Implications and Recommendations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esraa Mahadi Ali Mohamed ◽  
Samar Mohammed Alhaj Abdallah ◽  
Attaullah Ahmadi ◽  
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Supply And Distribution ◽  
Food Commodities

Before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged Africa, a large percentage of Africans were already affected by poverty and food insecurity. The pandemic wreaked havoc on their already unfavorable situation. The direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 included but not limited to illness and deaths of food systems’ workers, interruption of food supply chains, unemployment, depreciation of currency value, and disruption of social protection programs. COVID-19 will lead to further economic fallout. Thus, the situation needs careful observation and timely intervention to safeguard the vulnerable African communities. Although Africa has sought ways to lessen the dire impact of the pandemic on food security, short-term solutions should include and enhance social and economic relief initiatives such as monetary intervention and social safety net. Considering a balance between health benefits of COVID-19 restrictions and their economic implications, the African countries, at the regional level, must preserve open and efficient social protection programs and cross-border supply and distribution networks for agricultural inputs. Africa’s medium- and long-term strategies for improving food security should include improving and diversifying its agricultural productivity and production of key food commodities. This will reduce Africa’s dependence on importation of these key commodities, and will help the continent address underlying economic vulnerabilities and better manage food, pandemic, and/or health-related crises affecting food security in the long term.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document