Consequence of Covid-19 lockdown on household food security: Voices from Hoima City, Uganda

https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v2i1.765
Published: Nov 17, 2021

Abstract:

Purpose: To investigate the consequence covid-19 lockdown on food security among a cohort of peri-urban households in Hoima city.

Research methodology: A descriptive survey was employed targeting 186 respondents. Data were collected using a researcher-designed self-administered questionnaire and analysed using quantitative statistics. Specifically, chi-square was employed to establish whether the hypothesis held sway; also, regression analysis was employed with a view of forecasting the degree of change in household food security due to covid-19 lockdown.

Results: The period of lockdown announced and implemented by the government had a positive consequence on food security. Nonetheless, the economic hardships overturned the successes otherwise achieved as a number of households sold off much of the food so as acquire other household items.

Recommendations: While the government is credited for instituting a lockdown as a means to reduce the spread of covid-19 virus, it is recommended that city authorities are encouraged to boost urban farming by distributing agri-inputs to households in the peri-urban seeing that their daily incomes are already constrained.

Contribution: The findings of this study may be useful to city authorities in Uganda in evolving a guide on integration of food security as a cross-cutting issue in the overall strategic disaster management plan. This article makes an input to the budding field of understanding by underlining inroads that can generate more sustainable urban community livelihoods through food security.

Keywords:
1. Covid-19
2. Food security
3. Kasingo
4. Peri-urban households,
Authors:
David Mwesigwa
Discipline of Public Administration and Management, Lira University, Lira, Uganda
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How to Cite
Mwesigwa, D. (2021). Consequence of Covid-19 lockdown on household food security: Voices from Hoima City, Uganda. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 2(1), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v2i1.765
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Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): November
Articles
References

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    Nechifora, V., Ramos, P.M., Ferraria, E., Laichena, J., Kihiu, E., Omanyo, D., Musamali, R., and Kiriga, B. (2021). Food security and welfare changes under COVID-19 in sub-Sharan Africa: impacts and response in Kenya. Global food security, 28. Accessed 20th April 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100514

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  3. Besada, H., and Werner, K. (2015). An assessment of the effects of Africa’s water crisis on food security and management. International journal of water resources development, 31(1). 120-33. Doi: 10.1080/07900627.2014.905124
  4. Bird, D. (2009). The use of questionnaires for acquiring information on public perception of natural hazards and risk mitigation – A review of current knowledge and practice. Natural hazards and earth system sciences, 9(4). 1307-25.
  5. Bognar, G. (2019). Overpopulation and procreative liberty, ethics, policy & environment. 22(3). 319-30. Doi: 10.1080/21550085.2019.1652232
  6. Chamdimba, Y.O., Ortmann, F.G., and Wale, E. (2020). Resilience to shocks and food insecurity: determinants, and the impact of smallholder jatropha curcas cultivation in southern Malawi. African journal of science, technology, innovation, and development. Accessed on Doi: 10.1080/20421338.2020.1774962
  7. Das, S., Rasul, M.G., Hossain, M.S., et al (2020). Acute food insecurity and short-term coping strategies of urban and rural households of Bangladesh during the lockdown period of COVD-19 pandemic of 2020: report of a cross-sectional survey. BMJ open. 10:e043365. Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043365.
  8. El-Sayyad, H., and Abdalhafid, K.Y. (2020). COVID-19;- The origin, genetics, and management of the infection of mothers and babies. Egyptian journal of basic and applied sciences, 7(1). 371-88, Doi: 10.1080/2314808X.2020.1843119
  9. Eton, M., Mwosi, F. Ejang, M., and Poro, S.G. (2021). Financial inclusion: is it a precursor to agricultural commercialisation amongst smallholder farmers in Uganda? A comparative analysis between Lango and Buganda sub-regions. Journal of economics and international finance, 13(1). 1-12.
  10. Fowler, M. (2020). The impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on Uganda’s agricultural sector. United States Agency for International Development Kampala.
  11. Hamduzzaman, M., and Islam, R.M. (2020). Save life or livelihood: responses to COVID-19 among South-Asian poor communities. Local development & society, 1(2). 177-89. Doi: 10.1080/26883597.2020.1801334
  12. Igoye, A. (2020). Migration and immigration: Uganda and the COVID-19 pandemic. Public integrity, 22(4). 406-408. Doi: 10.1080/10999922.2020.1753383
  13. Jjuuko, R., Tukundane, C., and Zeelen, J. (2019). Exploring agricultural vocational pedagogy in Uganda: students’ experiences. International journal of training research, 17(3). 238-51. Doi: 10.1080/14480220.2019.1685161
  14. Jonah, M.P.C., and May, D.J. (2020). The nexus between urbanization and food insecurity in South Africa: does the type of dwelling matter? International journal or urban sustainable development, 12(1). 1-13. Doi: 10.1080/19463138.2019.1666852
  15. Joones, E. (2020). COVID-19 and the EU economy: try again, fail better. Survival, 62(4). 81-100. 10.1080/00396338.2020.1792124
  16. Kansiime, K.M., Tambob, A.J., Muganbia, I., Bundia, M., Krac, A., and Owuor, C. (2021). COVID-19 implications on household income and food security in Kenya and Uganda: findings from a rapid assessment. World Development, 137: 1-10.
  17. Krejcie, R.V., & Morgan, D.W., (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement.
  18. Laato, S., Islam, A.K.M.N., Islam, M.N., and Whelan, E. (2020). What drives unverified information sharing and cyberchondria during the cOVID-19 pandemic? European journal of information systems, 29(3). 288-305. Doi: 10.1080/0960085X.2020.1770632
  19. Miechie, J. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis – and the future of the economy and economics. International review of applied economics, 34(3). 301-3. Doi: 10.1080/02692171.2020.1756040
  20. Montefrio, F.J.M. (2020). Interrogating the ‘productive’ home gardener in a time of pandemic lockdown in the Philippines. Food and foodways, 28(3). 216-25. Doi: 10.1080/07409710.2020.1790142
  21. Msuya, S.T., Kideghesho, R.J., and Mosha, E.C.T. (2010). Availability, preference, and consumption of indigenous forest foods in the eastern arc mountains, Tanzania. Ecology of food and nutrition, 49(3). 208-27. Doi: 10.1080/03670241003766048
  22. Nanima, D.R. (2020). A right to a fair trial in Uganda’s judicature (visual-audio link) rules: embracing the challenges in the era of COVID-19. Commonwealth law bulletin, 46(3). 391-414. Doi: 10.1080/03050718.2020.1804419
  23. Nechifora, V., Ramos, P.M., Ferraria, E., Laichena, J., Kihiu, E., Omanyo, D., Musamali, R., and Kiriga, B. (2021). Food security and welfare changes under COVID-19 in sub-Sharan Africa: impacts and response in Kenya. Global food security, 28. Accessed 20th April 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100514
  24. Obi-Ani, A.N., Anikwenze, C., and Isiani, C.M. (2020). Social media and the COVID-19 pandemic: observations from Nigeria. Cogent arts & humanities, 7(1). Doi: 10.1080/23311983.2020.1799483
  25. Olivia, S., Gibson, J., and Nasrudin, R. (2020). Indonesia in the time of COVID-19. Bulletin of Indonesian economic studies, 56(2). 143-74. Doi: 10.1080/00074918.2020.1798581
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  27. Samy, M., Abdelmalak, R., Ahmed, A., and Kelada, M. (2020). Social media as a source of medical information during COVID-19. Medical education online, 25(1). Doi: 10.1080/10872981.2020.1791467
  28. Tasneem, D., Engle-Warnick, J., and Becnhekroun, H. (2019). Sustainable management of renewable resources: an experimental investigation in continuous time. Applied economics, 51(35). 3804-33. Doi: 10.1080/00036846.2019.1584370
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  32. Vercillo, S., Kuuire, V.Z., Armah, F.A., and Luginaah, I. (2015). Does the new alliance for food security and nutrition impose biotechnology on smallholder farmers in Africa? Global bioethics, 26(1). 1-13. Doi: 10.1080/11287462.2014.1002294
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  34. West, P.W. (2016). Simple random sampling of individual items in the absence of a sampling frame that lists the individuals. New Zealand journal of forestry science, 46(15). Available at: https://NZforestryscience.springeropen.com
  35. Wetaya, R. (2021). COVID’s second wave worsens food insecurity in East Africa. Allainace for Science. Accessed 2/9.2021: https://allianceforscience.cornell.educ
  36. Wild-Wood, E., and Chow, A. (2020). COVID-19 and Christianity. The round table, 109(4). 474-5. Doi: 10.1080/00358533.2020.1790773
  37. World Bank. (2021). Food security and COVID-19.
  38. Yu, M., Li, Z., Yu, Z., he, J., and Zhou, J. (2020). Communication related health crisis on social media: a case of COVID-19 outbreak. Current issues in tourism, accessed Doi: 10.1080/13683500.2020.1752632