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COVID-19 impact on agriculture and food security in Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis

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  • Balgah, Roland Azibo
  • Benjamin, Emmanuel Olatunbosun
  • Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon
  • Buchenrieder, Gertrud

Abstract

While agriculture is the life-wire for many African economies, the sector has been exposed to multiple shocks, leading to food insecurity concerns. COVID-19′s seemingly perennial nature suggests the need for African agrarian systems to explore pathways to achieve food security in the midst of pandemics. However, existing knowledge on the effects of COVID-19 agriculture and food security remains fragmented. This article reviews preliminary documented and projected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture and food security in Africa, combining an inter-rater reliability (IRR) – based systematic review with meta-analysis on 74 rigorously selected published items, including 157 case studies. Our analysis hitches on the sustainable livelihoods framework and a novel systematic review and meta-analysis protocol (Tadesse, 2020). An IRR score of 0.93 suggests overwhelming convergence of contemporary COVID-19 scholarship on the negative economic effects of COVID-19 on agricultural supply and demand across Africa, which, in combination with other factors, culminates in increasing, multi-dimensional food insecurity, hitting hard on the poor and vulnerable. The meta-analysis suggests that agriculture is more exposed to COVID-19 effects than other (non-agricultural) sectors, with an overall pooled association effect size (RR) for the COVID-19 pandemic and farming occupation of 1.25 (95% CI, 0.72–0.96;P = 0.01), and significant heterogeneity between studies (Ι2 = 100%,P < 0.00). Future reviews and meta analyses increasingly focusing on methodological details are recommended, to provide insights on COVID-19 effects on African agriculture and food security. Policy implications of prolonged COVID-19 effects on agriculture and food security in Africa are then contemplated.

Suggested Citation

  • Balgah, Roland Azibo & Benjamin, Emmanuel Olatunbosun & Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon & Buchenrieder, Gertrud, 2023. "COVID-19 impact on agriculture and food security in Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wodepe:v:31:y:2023:i:c:s2452292923000395
    DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2023.100523
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    References listed on IDEAS

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