The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), Southern Africa Trust, Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), and Graça Machel Trust have held a society-talk webinar where they discussed food insecurity caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

Development Diaries understands that the meeting was tagged ‘Covid-19 Impact on SADC Food Systems and Smallholder Agriculture, and Policy Options for a Women-inclusive’.

It was noted that more than 60 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa are smallholder farmers, the majority of whom are women, and that the agriculture sector contributes about 23 percent to sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP.

Participants observed that border closures, quarantines, and trade disruptions were restricting people’s access to sufficient, diverse, and nutritious sources of food. Amongst the vulnerable groups majorly affected by the pandemic are small-scale farmers. They also face challenges accessing markets to sell their products or buy essential inputs, or struggle due to higher food prices and limited purchasing power.

Informal labourers have been hardest hit by job and income losses in harvesting and processing. Millions of children are already missing out on the school meals they have come to rely upon, as many of them have no formal access to social protection, including health insurance.

Source: Graca Machel Trust

Photo source: Prachatai