The Effects of Pandemics on the Vulnerability of Food Security in West Africa—A Scoping Review

Liette Vasseur, Heather VanVolkenburg, Isabelle Vandeplas, Katim Touré, Safiétou Sanfo and Fatoumata Lamarana Baldé
Additional contact information
Liette Vasseur: Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
Heather VanVolkenburg: Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
Isabelle Vandeplas: Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), 3000 Omer-Lavallee, Montreal, QC H1Y 3R8, Canada
Katim Touré: Département Economie et Sociologie rurales, École Nationale Supérieure d’Agriculture (ENSA), Université Iba Der Thiam de Thiès, Thies BP A 296, Senegal
Safiétou Sanfo: Laboratoire de Développement Agricole et Transformation de l’Agriculture (DATA), Université Thomas Sankara, Ouagadougou 03 BP 7210, Burkina Faso
Fatoumata Lamarana Baldé: Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), 3000 Omer-Lavallee, Montreal, QC H1Y 3R8, Canada

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to show the effects of the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics on food security vulnerability in West Africa. The methodology is based on a scoping literature review using the PRISMA method. The study showed that food security was affected by the restrictive measures in the different West African countries. In addition, it shows that this region is highly vulnerable to such crises, which can combine their effects with those of other events such as climate change and civil unrest. In both pandemics, all pillars of food security were affected. The effects on urban and rural centers may be very different. The study suggests a better understanding of the differences between rural and urban centers and between men and women and how long-term restraint measures can affect rural areas where agriculture is the main lever for reducing food insecurity. Food security must be seriously considered by governments when implementing restrictive measures during a pandemic. Consideration of health factors alone at the expense of food security can greatly exacerbate health problems and even increase cases of disease.

Keywords: SDG 2; pandemics; food insecurity; restrictions; food availability; production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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