REPORT: Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security among East and West African pastoralists

Evan Griffith et al (2021) Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security among East and West African pastoralists, Advances in Food Security and Sustainability), 32 p. 

This report reviews 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.