Impacts of Covid-19 on pastoralists’ food security in East & West Africa

The focus of attention regarding the impacts of Covid-19 has been on direct health outcomes and the macroeconomic impacts of control measures. In “Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security among East and West African pastoralists” (2021, 32pp, published in Advances in Food Security and Sustainability), Evan Griffith et al review the available evidence about secondary impacts of the pandemic on pastoralists and agropastoralists. The authors find that Covid-19 is contributing to a worsening of food security trends in pastoral areas of East and West Africa on account of numerous factors, including the closure of livestock markets, movement restrictions, disruptions of supply chains and livestock production inputs, reduced frequency and quality of human and animal healthcare delivery, and lost income from complementary livelihoods. As an intervention that could contribute to a more food-secure future of pastoralists, they suggest taking a One Health approach that addresses the social, economic and environmental health determinants of food security among African pastoralists.

Posted on 15 September 2021 in Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition