IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i13p7313-d585506.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Mawuna Donald Houessou

    (Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Laboratoire d’Etude sur la Pauvreté et la Performance de l’Agriculture (LEPPA), Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 03 BP 2819, Benin
    Centre d’Actions pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable, Abomey-Calavi BP 660, Benin)

  • Annemijn Cassee

    (Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Equal contribution.)

  • Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld

    (Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Amsterdam Centre for World Food Studies, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Mawuna Donald Houessou & Annemijn Cassee & Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld, 2021. "The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural and Urban Settlements in Benin: Do Allotment Gardens Soften the Blow?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7313-:d:585506
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7313/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7313/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alison Blay-Palmer & Guido Santini & Jess Halliday & Roman Malec & Joy Carey & Léo Keller & Jia Ni & Makiko Taguchi & René van Veenhuizen, 2021. "City Region Food Systems: Building Resilience to COVID-19 and Other Shocks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Eva‐Maria Egger & Sam Jones & Patricia Justino & Ivan Manhique & Ricardo Santos, 2023. "Africa's lockdown dilemma: High poverty and low trust," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1648-1666, October.
    3. Aboubakari MOUSSA, 2018. "Does Agricultural Sector Contribute to the Economic Growth in Case of Republic of Benin?," Journal of Social Economics Research, Conscientia Beam, vol. 5(2), pages 85-93.
    4. Aboubakari MOUSSA, 2018. "Does Agricultural Sector Contribute to the Economic Growth in Case of Republic of Benin?," Journal of Social Economics Research, Conscientia Beam, vol. 5(2), pages 85-93.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Andrea Appolloni & Mohammad Iranmanesh & Horst Treiblmaier & Sandeep Jagtap, 2022. "Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends in the COVID-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-33, September.
    2. Abda Emam, 2023. "Saudi Fertilizers and Their Impact on Global Food Security: Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Lidia Poniży & Monika J. Latkowska & Jürgen Breuste & Andrew Hursthouse & Sophie Joimel & Mart Külvik & Teresa E. Leitão & Andrzej Mizgajski & Annette Voigt & Ewa Kacprzak & Barbara Maćkiewicz & Magda, 2021. "The Rich Diversity of Urban Allotment Gardens in Europe: Contemporary Trends in the Context of Historical, Socio-Economic and Legal Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Hamid El Bilali & Lawali Dambo & Jacques Nanema & Sheirita Reine Fanta Tietiambou & Iro Dan Guimbo & Romaric Kiswendsida Nanema, 2023. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Agri-Food Systems in West Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, July.
    5. Ezra Berkhout & Lucie Sovová & Anne Sonneveld, 2023. "The Role of Urban–Rural Connections in Building Food System Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, January.
    6. B. G. J. S. Sonneveld & M. D. Houessou & G. J. M. van den Boom & A. Aoudji, 2021. "Where Do I Allocate My Urban Allotment Gardens? Development of a Site Selection Tool for Three Cities in Benin," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-22, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mamba, Essotanam & Ali, Essossinam, 2022. "Do agricultural exports enhance agricultural (economic) growth? Lessons from ECOWAS countries," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 257-267.
    2. Joseph Phiri & Karel Malec & Socrates Kraido Majune & Seth Nana Kwame Appiah-Kubi & Zdeňka Gebeltová & Mansoor Maitah & Kamil Maitah & Kamal Tasiu Abdullahi, 2020. "Agriculture as a Determinant of Zambian Economic Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    3. Ramlee Ismail & Mohd Yahya Mohd Hussin & Fidlizan Muhammad, 2019. "Economic Literacy: Does It Matter for Policy Understanding?," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(5), pages 104-112, December.
    4. Intiyas Utami & Yosephine Widwining Astiti & Nafsiah Mohamed, 2019. "Fraud Intention and Machiavellianism: An Experimental Study of Fraud Triangle," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 11(5), pages 269-279, August.
    5. Runganga, Raynold & Mhaka, Simbarashe, 2021. "Impact of Agricultural Production on Economic Growth in Zimbabwe," MPRA Paper 106988, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Rahayu Abdul Rahman & Asheq Rahman & Erlane K Ghani & Normah Hj Omar, 2019. "Government-Linked Investment Companies and Real Earnings Management: Malaysian Evidence," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(3), pages 299-313, May.
    7. Mak Vee Vien & Joanna Tan Tjin Ai & Cheah Kok Sung, 2019. "The Challenges of Implementing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Based Online Learning in Chinese Independent High Schools (CIHS) in Malaysia," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(2), pages 117-128, July.
    8. repec:idq:ictduk:16468 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Irène Mestre & Sabrina Dermine-Brullot & Pierre Guillemin & Pauline Marty & Emma Teillet & Céline Schott, 2022. "Health crisis: a lens for renewing the approach of the resilience of agri-food systems? [La crise sanitaire : un analyseur pour un renouvellement de l'approche de la résilience des systèmes agricol," Post-Print hal-04487277, HAL.
    10. M. O. Oleche & D. K. Manda & R. G. Mutegi & S. Kipruto & M. K. Muriithi & P. Samoei & A. W. Ndirangu & G. Mwabu, 2023. "The gendered impacts of COVID-19 and business closure due to lockdown on wage employment in Kenya," Journal of Economic Policy and Management Issues, JEPMI, vol. 2(2), pages 31-48.
    11. Giulia Mascagni & Adrienne Lees, 2023. "The Economic Impact of the Pandemic in Rwanda: An Analysis of Firm-Level VAT Data," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 32(3), pages 209-236.
    12. Gorji, Mohammad-Ali & Shetab-Boushehri, Seyyed-Nader & Akbarzadeh, Meisam, 2023. "Evaluation and improvement of the resilience of a transportation system against epidemic diseases: A system dynamics approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 27-44.
    13. Rosario Betho & Marcia Chelengo & Sam Jones & Michael Keller & Ibraimo Hassane Mussagy & Dirk van Seventer & Finn Tarp, 2022. "The macroeconomic impact of COVID‐19 in Mozambique: A social accounting matrix approach," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 823-860, May.
    14. Julian Z. Xie & Kathrin M. Demmler & Ann Trevenen-Jones & Kelly D. Brownell, 2022. "Urban Public Food Procurement in Kiambu and Machakos Counties as a Driver of Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainability: A Literature Review and Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-28, March.
    15. Karin Skill & Sergio Passero & Mohsen Farhangi, 2022. "Cultivating Agroecological Networks during the Pandemic in Argentina: A Sociomaterial Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, October.
    16. Johanna Wilkes, 2022. "Reconnecting with Nature through Good Governance: Inclusive Policy across Scales," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-14, March.
    17. repec:idq:ictduk:17374 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Robert Fatton, 2021. "The Paradoxes of the Pandemic and World Inequalities," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, September.
    19. Strotmann, Christina & Baur, Vanessa & Börnert, Nora & Gerwin, Paula, 2022. "Generation and prevention of food waste in the German food service sector in the COVID-19 pandemic – Digital approaches to encounter the pandemic related crisis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    20. Wim Naudé & Ricardo Vinuesa, 2020. "Data, global development, and COVID-19: Lessons and consequences," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-109, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    21. Grigorescu, Ines & Popovici, Elena-Ana & Damian, Nicoleta & Dumitraşcu, Monica & Sima, Mihaela & Mitrică, Bianca & Mocanu, Irena, 2022. "The resilience of sub-urban small farming in Bucharest Metropolitan Area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    22. Simona Zollet & Luca Colombo & Paola De Meo & Davide Marino & Steven R. McGreevy & Nora McKeon & Simona Tarra, 2021. "Towards Territorially Embedded, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems? Insights from Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 in Italy and the City Region of Rome," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-24, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7313-:d:585506. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.