The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food security in South Africa: one year later

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2022

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Bachu, Kiana

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Abstract

This research report used all five Waves of National Income Dynamics Study - Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) data to answer what effect of COVID-19 has had on household food security and what factors determined whether a respondent’s food outcomes have worsened during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This research report explored the consequences of the expanding pandemic and resultant governmental lockdown restrictions on individuals and households’ food security in South Africa Food security outcomes are measured with the use of the four food security pillars - availability, accessibility, utilisation, and stability. The questions used from this survey provides indicators of employment and food security and quantitative estimates of food security outcomes using probit modelling with random effects estimation. COVID-19 is seen to have worsened individuals and households’ food security with higher chances of being food insecure with decreased incomes and lower levels of education. The changes which occurred to employment and income from the shock created by COVID-19 created adverse effects in the accessibility of food. Government grants was not seen to reduce the likelihood of food insecurity which is likely due to the insufficient amount it represents. Therefore, not being able to reduce this inaccessibility to food by providing food expenditure. This study contributes to the continued discussion about the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 with focus on food security in South Africa

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A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Commerce (Applied Development Economics) in the School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022

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