Impact of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic on food security among Ho indigenous community of Jharkhand, India

Autor: Suparna Ghosh-Jerath, Ayushi Dhasmana, Swati C. Nair, Ridhima Kapoor
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Agriculture & Food Security, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2048-7010
DOI: 10.1186/s40066-024-00469-1
Popis: Abstract Background Food insecurity and hunger are global concerns further exacerbated by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to understand the depth of this impact, especially among smallholder farmers, and recognize specific coping strategies that offered resilience to inform preparedness in future. The present cross-sectional study assessed the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic on different dimensions of food security among smallholder farmers of Ho indigenous community of Jharkhand, India. It also explored potential resilient attributes of their food systems. Results Most of the respondents (67.2%) reported reduced food consumption at the household (HH) level. Majority faced difficulty in accessing food from different food sources; however, easier access to government food security programmes was highlighted. Around 40% reported change in their ability to purchase farming inputs. Market vendors reported disruptions in food procurement owing to travel restrictions; however, no change was reported for home-produced foods in agricultural lands/kitchen gardens. Prices of indigenous foods produced locally decreased/remained same; however, for cereals, pulses, and other HH staples, prices increased during second wave. Difficulty in accessing wild food environment (OR: 1.7, CI 0.40, 7.75), change in food prices (OR: 19.9, CI 5.25, 76.02), decrease in HH income (OR: 9.2, CI 2.99, 28.60) were found to be significantly associated with reduction in HH food consumption (p
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