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Survey: COVID-19’s varied impacts on fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains in Senegal
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Senegal declared a state of emergency on March 23, 2020, followed by a range of policy measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus: Transport was significantly restricted, wet markets were closed, and shops were required to limit their hours. These moves disrupted food supply chains, in particular those of highly perishable products such as fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV).
Abnormal Dry Weather and Ongoing Conflict Pose Food Security Challenges throughout Africa
Africa South of the Sahara is currently experiencing several regional challenges to food security, according to FEWS Net. These include two of the most common drivers of increased food insecurity: conflict and weather-related shocks.
IFPRI book: What Africa can learn from Asia about agricultural mechanization
Agricultural mechanization has many benefits for developing countries: It raises productivity and lowers costs, makes supply chains more efficient, and is more environmentally friendly than traditional farming techniques. Mechanization is key for Africa’s agricultural transformation, which must adapt to the needs of urbanizing populations, increased food demand, and rising rural wages.
Inside Ethiopia’s agricultural success story
This post originally appeared on IFPRI.org .
By Francesca Edralin
Ethiopia’s rapid economic and agricultural growth over the past two decades is a well-known African success story. In 2000, Ethiopia ranked as the second-poorest country in the world , according to Oxford University’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index. Then, thanks in large part to sustained investments in the agricultural sector, the economy grew and poverty fell. Ethiopia was the third-fastest growing country in the world from 2000 to 2018 based on GDP per capita, according to World Bank data.
COVID-19 & African agricultural trade and food security
This piece originally appeared on IFPRI.org .
The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled a number of African agricultural exports, while dependency on food imports and lower purchasing power across much of the continent threaten to push millions more into food insecurity and poverty. A Sept. 17 IFPRI policy seminar , organized with the support of USAID, explored the interaction of the pandemic’s macroeconomic and microeconomic effects, and how Africa must grapple with global and regional markets in order to recover economically.