IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jecomi/v13y2025i6p173-d1679247.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hunger and Malnutrition in a COVID-19 Environment: What Are the Effects Amidst Rising Food Prices in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Author

Listed:
  • Bernadette Dia Kamgnia

    (Cellule d’analyse des politiques économiques du CIRES (CAPEC), Abidjan 08 BP 1295, Côte d’Ivoire)

  • Kan David N’Dri

    (Business and Social Science School, International University of Grand-Bassam, Grand-Bassam BP 564, Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing structural challenges in Africa, including poverty, weak healthcare systems, and fragile agricultural supply chains. Consequently, examining its effects remains a critical area of study. This research investigates the effect of food prices on the prevalence of malnutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings indicate a significant long-term relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases, food prices, and the prevalence of undernourishment. Specifically, increases in food prices are associated with a rise in undernourishment rates over the long term. These results are corroborated by estimations using Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS). To mitigate malnutrition in the face of potential future health shocks, governments could create and operationalize food price stabilization funds to cushion against sharp increases in food prices. These funds can be used to subsidize key staples during periods of price volatility, ensuring affordability for vulnerable populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernadette Dia Kamgnia & Kan David N’Dri, 2025. "Hunger and Malnutrition in a COVID-19 Environment: What Are the Effects Amidst Rising Food Prices in Sub-Saharan Africa?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-26, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:13:y:2025:i:6:p:173-:d:1679247
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/6/173/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/6/173/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rico Ihle & Ofir D. Rubin & Ziv Bar-Nahum & Roel Jongeneel, 2020. "Imperfect food markets in times of crisis: economic consequences of supply chain disruptions and fragmentation for local market power and urban vulnerability," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 727-734, August.
    2. Máximo Torero, 2020. "Without food, there can be no exit from the pandemic," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7805), pages 588-589, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gheorghe Cristian Popescu & Monica Popescu, 2022. "COVID-19 pandemic and agriculture in Romania: effects on agricultural systems, compliance with restrictions and relations with authorities," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 557-567, April.
    2. Amare, Mulubrhan & Abay, Kibrom A. & Tiberti, Luca & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2021. "COVID-19 and food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. Amare, Mulubrhan & Abay, Kibrom A. & Tiberti, Luca & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2020. "Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria," IFPRI discussion papers 1956, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Kalle Hirvonen & Bart Minten & Belay Mohammed & Seneshaw Tamru, 2021. "Food prices and marketing margins during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from vegetable value chains in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 407-421, May.
    5. Hammond, James & Siegal, Kim & Milner, Daniel & Elimu, Emmanuel & Vail, Taylor & Cathala, Paul & Gatera, Arsene & Karim, Azfar & Lee, Ja-Eun & Douxchamps, Sabine & Tu, Mai Thanh & Ouma, Emily & Lukuyu, 2022. "Perceived effects of COVID-19 restrictions on smallholder farmers: Evidence from seven lower- and middle-income countries," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    6. Anca C. Farcas & Charis M. Galanakis & Carmen Socaciu & Oana L. Pop & Dorin Tibulca & Adriana Paucean & Mirela A. Jimborean & Melinda Fogarasi & Liana C. Salanta & Maria Tofana & Sonia A. Socaci, 2020. "Food Security during the Pandemic and the Importance of the Bioeconomy in the New Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Lindsay M. Jaacks & Divya Veluguri & Rajesh Serupally & Aditi Roy & Poornima Prabhakaran & GV Ramanjaneyulu, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural production, livelihoods, and food security in India: baseline results of a phone survey," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1323-1339, October.
    8. Vargas, Ricardo & Fonseca, Cristina & Hareau, Guy & Ordinola, Miguel & Pradel, Willy & Robiglio, Valentina & Suarez, Victor, 2021. "Health crisis and quarantine measures in Peru: Effects on livelihoods of coffee and potato farmers," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    9. Bruce Lyons, 2021. "Unfinished Reform of the Institutions Enforcing UK Competition Law," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2021-01, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    10. Zhan, Yue & Chen, Kevin Z., 2021. "Building resilient food system amidst COVID-19: Responses and lessons from China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    11. Ihle, Rico & Bar-Nahum, Ziv & Nivievskyi, Oleg & Rubin, Ofir D., 2022. "Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increased the synchronisation of global commodity prices," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(04), January.
    12. Anna Walaszczyk & Małgorzata Koszewska & Iwona Staniec, 2022. "Food Traceability as an Element of Sustainable Consumption—Pandemic-Driven Changes in Consumer Attitudes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.
    13. Tomas Gabriel Bas, 2025. "Globalization vs. Glocalization: Learn Lessons from Two Global Crises, Such as the Russia–Ukraine Conflict and the COVID-19 Pandemic, for the Agro-Food and Agro-Industrial Sector," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-47, January.
    14. Cattaneo, Andrea & Sánchez, Marco V. & Torero, Máximo & Vos, Rob, 2021. "Reducing food loss and waste: Five challenges for policy and research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    15. Thomas Daum & Hans Konrad Biesalski & Nikola Blaschke & Christine Bosch & Denise Güttler & Jakob Heni & Juliet Kariuki & Roseline Katusiime & Anna Seidel & Zinsou‐Narcisse Senon & George Woode & Regin, 2023. "Nutrition‐sensitive lockdowns: Conceptual framework and empirical insights from Africa during COVID‐19," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(3), May.
    16. Rocío González-Sánchez & Sara Alonso-Muñoz & María Sonia Medina-Salgado, 2023. "Circularity in waste management: a research proposal to achieve the 2030 Agenda," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1520-1540, September.
    17. Franco Fassio & Marcello Bogetti & Damiano Cortese & Alessandra Savina, 2022. "SEeD for Change: The Systemic Event Design Project Applied to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto for the Development of Food Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    18. Kibrom A. Abay & Guush Berhane & John Hoddinott & Kibrom Tafere, 2023. "COVID-19 and Food Security in Ethiopia: Do Social Protection Programs Protect?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(2), pages 373-402.
    19. Mohammad Abdul Malek & Hoa Thi Truong & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2025. "COVID-19, food insecurity and panic buying behavior: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 17(1), pages 101-125, February.
    20. Fabio G. Santeramo & Emilia Lamonaca, 2024. "Exports of Fruit and Vegetables from Morocco and other Mediterranean Countries to the EU: Some Policy Recommendations from the Covid Pandemic," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 23(1), pages 67-72, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C54 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Quantitative Policy Modeling
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:13:y:2025:i:6:p:173-:d:1679247. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.