Effect of income instability and social transfers on food security during COVID-19 in Tunisia

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess the implications of COVID-19 shocks on household income, food security and the role of social protection in Tunisia. Design/methodology/approach - We used food insecurity classes proposed by FAO and data from the Economic Research Forum (ERF) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Monitor Household Survey conducted over four waves of COVID-19 (November 2020, February 2021, April 2021 and June 2021). Here, the regression of a multinomial logistic model (MLM) is used to highlight the likelihood that a respondent’s eating habits were degraded by the COVID-19 crisis. Findings - The findings first indicate that low-income and labor income-dependent households are the most vulnerable to shocks induced by COVID-19 and have had their food habits deteriorate considerably. Second, self-produced food by farmers who inhabit rural areas represented a food safety net during the pandemic. Finally, households that received a social transfer did not manage to overcome severe food insecurity. Social implications - As a result, the challenges are to extend social protection coverage to households that face transitory poverty. Originality/value - This is among the first studies to examine the effects of COVID-19 on household income and food insecurity in Tunisia. The study uses a new survey whose main objective is to monitor the impact of health crisis on Tunisian households, taking into consideration the strong labor market fluctuations. Indeed, these fluctuations, when measured against the pre-pandemic period and subsequent periods, would help to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households’ well-being. Peer review - The peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2023-0867.