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COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity in South American countries

Author

Listed:
  • Carlos Frederico A. Vasconcelos-Neto

    (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, GP Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres
    Calle Enrique Granados)

  • Michelle Jacob

    (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte)

  • Daniel Tregidgo

    (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, GP Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres)

  • Denis Valle

    (University of Florida)

  • Hani R. El Bizri

    (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, GP Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres
    University of Salford
    Center for International Forestry Research - CIFOR)

  • Sávio Marcelino Gomes

    (Universidade Federal da Paraíba)

  • Julia E. Fa

    (Manchester Metropolitan University
    University of Gibraltar)

  • Thais Q. Morcatty

    (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, GP Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres
    University College London)

  • Frederico Ozanan Barros Monteiro

    (Institute of Health and Animal Production, Federal Rural University of the Amazon)

  • Alessandra Scofield

    (Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Pará, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA))

  • Alessandra Matte

    (Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná (UTFPR))

  • Willandia A. Chaves

    (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

  • Luiz Henrique Medeiros Borges

    (Associação SOS Amazônia)

  • Antônia I. A. Silva

    (Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Instituto Natureza e Cultura)

  • Dídac Santos-Fita

    (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona)

  • Tiago Lucena Silva

    (Biodiversity Institute)

  • Isaac Ibernon Lopes-Filho

    (Biodiversity Institute)

  • Maria Isabel Afonso Silva

    (Universidade Federal Do Acre - UFAC)

  • Rebeca Mascarenhas Fonseca Barreto

    (Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Colegiado de Ciências Biológicas)

  • Marcela A Oliveira

    (Universidade Federal de Rondônia)

  • Felipe Silva Ferreira

    (Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco)

  • Ricardo Rodrigues Santos

    (Universidade Federal do Maranhão)

  • Jaime Honorato-Júnior

    (EARTH University)

  • Marilene Vasconcelos Silva Brazil

    (Secretary of State for the Environment of Acre, Biodiversity Department)

  • Shirliane Araújo Sousa

    (Universidade Estadual do Ceará)

  • Deise C. L. Oliveira

    (Instituto Amazônico de Agriculturas Familiares)

  • Valéria R. F. Ferreira

    (Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia)

  • Hyago K. L. Soares

    (Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Sistemática e Ecologia)

  • Marcia F. Pinto

    (Biologia, Universidade Estadual do Ceará)

  • Raone Beltrão-Mendes

    (Universidade Federal de Sergipe)

  • Marcos Paulo Lopes Rodrigues

    (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/Museu Nacional)

  • Wáldima Alves Rocha

    (Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Naturais do Semiárido Do Piauí - NUPECINAS, Universidade Federal do Piauí)

  • Roberto Gutiérrez Poblete

    (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Unidad de Monitoreo de Biodiversidad, Dirección de Gestión de Áreas Naturales Protegidas)

  • Francisco Luigi Schettini

    (Asociación Civil Oikos, Research, Animal Health)

  • Joe S. S. Rojas

    (Unidad Operativa Funcional de Gestión Participativa -UOF GP)

  • Marco A. Aspilcueta

    (Ecosistemas y Cambio Climático)

  • Justo D. V. Zevallos

    (San Juan Bautista University, Veterinary Medicine School)

  • Giussepe Gagliardi-Urrutia

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Erick Rodolfo Menéndez Delgado

    (Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí)

  • Mariela Lissette Polit-Vera

    (Universidad Técnica de Manabí)

  • Elvira Rodríguez Ríos

    (Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí (ULEAM))

  • Juan Carlos Carrascal Velásquez

    (Universidad de Córdoba/One Health Colombia)

  • Maria Dalila Forlano Riera

    (Universidad Centroccidental “Lisandro Alvarado”)

  • Lucy Perera Romero

    (Washington State University)

  • Danilo A. Salas Dueñas

    (Fundación Moisés Bertoni, Investigación y Conservación)

  • Daniel Garin

    (Unidad Agroalimentaria Metropolitana (UAM))

  • Pedro Mayor

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unparalleled political, economic, and social ramifications, exacerbating global food insecurity (FI). To understand the overall impact of the pandemic and how different socio-economic groups were affected, we assessed prevalence and severity of FI in a sample of 18,997 households across seven countries in South America. We employed the Food Insecurity Experience Scale developed by the FAO. Our results showed that pre-pandemic, 4.5% of the sampled population across the entire continent faced Moderate FI, while 0.6% experienced severe FI. During the pandemic, Moderate FI increased to 16.9% (+ 12.4%), and Severe FI to 2.7% (+ 2.1%). By country, pre-pandemic households in Venezuela had the highest prevalence of Moderate FI (9.7%), with Peru experiencing the highest Severe FI frequency (1.1%). Peru had the greatest rise in Moderate (+ 23.9%) and Severe FI (+ 4.6%) during the pandemic. Low-income households, defined as those earning

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Frederico A. Vasconcelos-Neto & Michelle Jacob & Daniel Tregidgo & Denis Valle & Hani R. El Bizri & Sávio Marcelino Gomes & Julia E. Fa & Thais Q. Morcatty & Frederico Ozanan Barros Monteiro & , 2025. "COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity in South American countries," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 17(4), pages 1001-1022, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:17:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s12571-025-01538-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-025-01538-4
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