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Effect of COVID-19 on Household Food Insecurity and Poverty: Evidence from Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Chei Bukari

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Millicent Abigail Aning-Agyei

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Christian Kyeremeh

    (Sunyani Technical Univesity)

  • Gloria Essilfie

    (Ghana Technology University College)

  • Kofi Fosu Amuquandoh

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Anthony Akwesi Owusu

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Isaac Christopher Otoo

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Kpanja Ibrahim Bukari

    (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and its heavy toll on the global community and humanity, a fierce debate on the pandemic and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) performance nexus has emerged. While the literature on this subject remains highly contested, evidence within the Ghanaian contest is sparse. Thus, we present micro-level evidence on how COVID-19 poses a threat to hunger and poverty as SDGs in Ghana. Precisely, we examined the effect of COVID-19 on households' food insecurity and poverty and further analysed gender and locational sub-samples for differential effects. Data on 3905 households were obtained via concurrent online survey and telephone interviews. The results indicate that, on several occasions, a significant number of the sampled households (57.76%) did not get enough food to eat due to the pandemic. The proportion of households that went on several times without clean water for home use and access medicines/medical treatments were 50.52% and 52.22%, respectively. About 60.72% of the sampled households affirmed that, on several times, they did not have enough income due to the pandemic. At the same time, the share of households that suffered food insecurity due to the pandemic was 69.04%. Instrumenting for COVID-19 using distance to the affected communities, we find that a standard deviation increase in COVID-19 is associated with a rise of 0.232 and 0.289 standard deviations in poverty and food insecurity, respectively. Our results are robust to alternative estimation approaches to addressing the endogeneity of COVID-19 and other sensitivity checks. We conclude that Ghana would need to develop a new spectrum of gender- and location-sensitive policies that engender social inclusion as a conduit to expediate the attainment of zero poverty and hunger.

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  • Chei Bukari & Millicent Abigail Aning-Agyei & Christian Kyeremeh & Gloria Essilfie & Kofi Fosu Amuquandoh & Anthony Akwesi Owusu & Isaac Christopher Otoo & Kpanja Ibrahim Bukari, 2022. "Effect of COVID-19 on Household Food Insecurity and Poverty: Evidence from Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 991-1015, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:159:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02766-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02766-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Elizabeth Opiyo Onyango & Bernard Owusu & Jonathan S. Crush, 2023. "COVID-19 and Urban Food Security in Ghana during the Third Wave," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Stephen Frimpong & Harriet Frimpong & Alex Barimah Owusu & Isaac Duah Boateng & Benjamin Adjei, 2023. "Livelihood Changes, Spatial Anticontagion Policy Effects, and Structural Resilience of National Food Systems in a Sub-Saharan African Country Context: A Panel Machine Learning Approach," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-24, November.
    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. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Raju, Dhushyanth & Tanaka, Tomomi & Abanokova, Kseniya, 2024. "Poverty dynamics for Ghana during 2005/06–2016/17: an investigation using synthetic panels," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 124105, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi & Frank Kyei-Arthur, 2024. "Parent-child conflicts, and punishment of children during the three-week COVID-19 lockdown in Ghana," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Solangi, Yasir Ahmed & Jianguo, Du, 2023. "Examining challenges and solutions for environmental and natural resource management with a focus on mineral resources," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    8. Mary Amoako & Felicity Amoah-Agyei & Gideon Okyere Mensah & Chen Du & Selin Sergin & Jenifer I. Fenton & Robin M. Tucker, 2022. "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Behaviors of Higher Education Students in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Alisa C. Lewin & Michal Shamai & Sharon Novikov, 2023. "Surviving in Crisis Mode: The Effect of Material Hardship and Social Support on Emotional Wellbeing Among People in Poverty During COVID-19," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 245-265, January.
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