Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract:

Millions of smallholder farmers in low-income countries are highly vulnerable to food-supply shocks, and reducing this vulnerability remains challenging in view of climatic changes. Restrictions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic produced a severe supply-side shock in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, including through frictions in agricultural markets. We use a large-scale field experiment to examine the effects of improved on farm storage on household food security during COVID-19 restrictions. Based on text message survey data we find that the prevalence of food insecurity increased in control group households during COVID-19 restrictions (coinciding with the agricultural lean season). In treatment households, equipped with an improved on-farm storage technology and training in its use, food insecurity was lower during COVID-19 restrictions. This un derscores the benefits of improved on-farm storage for mitigating vulnerability to food-supply shocks. These insights are relevant for the larger, long-term question of climate change adaptation, and also regarding trade offs between public health protection and food security.

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APA

Huss, M (2024). Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/improved-storage-mitigates-vulnerability-to-food-supply-shocks-in-smallholder-agriculture-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

MLA 8th

Huss, M "Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic" Afribary. Afribary, 10 Mar. 2024, https://afribary.com/works/improved-storage-mitigates-vulnerability-to-food-supply-shocks-in-smallholder-agriculture-during-the-covid-19-pandemic. Accessed 02 May. 2024.

MLA7

Huss, M . "Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic". Afribary, Afribary, 10 Mar. 2024. Web. 02 May. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/improved-storage-mitigates-vulnerability-to-food-supply-shocks-in-smallholder-agriculture-during-the-covid-19-pandemic >.

Chicago

Huss, M . "Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic" Afribary (2024). Accessed May 02, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/improved-storage-mitigates-vulnerability-to-food-supply-shocks-in-smallholder-agriculture-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic

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