COVID-19 AND FOOD SYSTEM, SECURITY AND SAFETY IN RURAL AREAS OF SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA: IMPACTS AND POSSIBLE COPING STRATEGIES

Abstract

Farmers in rural areas are the hub of food system in South-East Nigeria. Unfortunately, the phobia of COVID- 19 and its abrupt quarantine measures enforced through government agencies to an extent affected routine food system activities such as food production, distribution, consumption among others in rural areas of South-East Nigeria. Consequently, there is a serious threat to food security and safety which are dependent on sustainable food system. Therefore, the study sought to identify specific impacts of COVID-19 on food system, security and safety and possible coping strategies in rural areas of South-East Nigeria. The study was guided by 5 specific objectives. Exploratory sequential mixed method approach was adopted for the study. The sample size of the study was 150 commercial rural farmers purposely selected from each of the 5 states in South-East Nigeria. A semistructured interview guide and researcher-adapted structured questionnaire were respectively used to elicit qualitative and quantitative data from respondents by researchers with the help of 3 trained research assistants. The permissions of respondents were sought before data collection; therefore data collection was entirely on voluntary basis. Researchers also ensured that the issues of privacy and confidentiality of respondents were respected. Also, strict adherence to COVID-19 rules during contacts with respondents was maintained. Quantitative data collected using a structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviations, and qualitative data from interview meetings were coded and analyzed to support the findings of the questionnaire. SPSS-software version-22 was used for the data analysis by researchers. The study identified 15 specific impacts of COVID-19 on food production, 10 specific impacts of COVID-19 on food distribution, 4 specific impacts of COVID-19 on food security, 3 specific impacts of COVID-19 on food safety and 14 possible coping strategies to the Impacts of COVID-19 on food system, food Security and food Safety in rural areas of South-East Nigeria. Therefore, the study among others recommended that government, international organizations, philanthropists and banks should provide farmers with loans, subsidies, grants (funds, seeds, seedlings, agrochemicals and other relevant inputs) in order to boost food production in South-East Nigeria.