Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Agri-Food Systems in West Africa

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic affected not only the functioning of food supply chains but also the performance and outcomes of agri-food systems. In this context, this paper analyses the scholarly literature dealing with the impacts of the pandemic on West African agriculture and food systems. A search carried out on the Web of Science in March 2023 returned 176 records and 87 eligible documents were included in the systematic review. The bibliometric analysis suggests a decreasing interest in the research field. Moreover, a large share of the eligible articles are authored by researchers based outside West Africa. There is a research gap, especially in Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger and Togo. Studies focus on the crop production subsector and consumption stage. The pandemic affected all four dimensions/pillars of food security (viz. availability, access, utilisation/use, and stability). However, most of the analysed documents focus on food access (economic accessibility and physical accessibility). Moreover, COVID-19 affected all the dimensions of agri-food systems (viz. environmental, economic, social, and political) but the analysed articles focus on the pandemic’s socio-economic impacts, especially those relating to food security and health. The promotion of research on the impacts of the pandemic on agri-food systems in West Africa is paramount to designing the evidence-based policies needed to improve the preparedness of the region for current and future crises and shocks.