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Abstract
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 < 2 minimum wages per month, were most susceptible to FI. Uruguayan low-income families exhibited the most significant rise (+ 40.4%) in Moderate FI, while those in Peru experienced an increase of + 9.1% in Severe FI. This study measures the profound and far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI in South America. Our findings also emphasise the critical importance of implementing effective public policy interventions to improve resilience against future shocks. This would enable policymakers to develop targeted strategies that address the immediate challenges posed by pandemics as well as laying the groundwork for a more resilient and sustainable food security landscape in the region.
Highlights
Many countries worldwide have been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Hiscott et al, 2020)
Severe food insecurity (FI) was most prevalent in Paraguay (1.7%), followed by Peru (1.1%), Ecuador (0.8%), Colombia (0.7%), Brazil (0.5%), Venezuela (0.3%), and Uruguay (0.3%); whereas Moderate FI was most prevalent in Venezuela (9.7%), followed by Peru (7.7%), Paraguay (6.6%), Colombia (5.8%), Ecuador (5.7%), Uruguay (5.6%), and Brazil (2.7%)
We measured the state of food insecurity in seven South American countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, carrying out the most extensive collection of FI data in South America during the pandemic
Summary
Many countries worldwide have been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Hiscott et al, 2020). This global health crisis has had far-reaching effects on the economies, political structures, and social fabric of those countries grappling with its Extended author information available on the last page of the article consequences. The COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity (FI), due to the restrictive measures aimed at controlling the virus' spread (Laborde et al, 2020a, 2020b). This threatened access to food mainly through losses of income and assets that prejudice the ability to buy food.
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