南非国际事务研究所-新冠疫情后南部非洲农业价值链的优化（英文）-2021.5-14正式版

Policy

Briefing

234

April2021

OptimisingAgriculturalValueChainsinSouthernAfricaAfterCOVID-19

TAWANDAMATEMA&CYRILPRINSLOO

Recommendations

AgriculturalvaluechainsintheSADCregionshouldbegearedtowardscreatingopportunitiesbothforsmall-scalesubsistencefarmingandlarge-scale,export-gearedcommercialfarming,thusconstitutinga‘dualapproach’toagriculturaldevelopmentintheregion.

Governmentsandthebusinesssectorshouldformpublic–privatesectorpartnershipstodevelopresilientinfrastructurefortheagriculturalsector,includingtheadoptionofclimate-smarttechnologies.

VariousactivitiesinSADCagro-valuechainsshouldbedigitalisedtoensuremoreeffectiveinteractionsbetweenfarmers,inputsuppliers,transportandlogisticsserviceproviders,financiersandothervaluechainpartners.

PriorityshouldbegivenatgovernmentleveltoconcludingoutstandingissuesrelatingtotheimplementationoftheAfricanContinentalFreeTradeArea(AfCFTA)whichwouldthenconstitutethespringboardforhighervolumesofagriculturaltrade,thusimprovingtraderevenues,foodsecurityandemploymentintheagriculturalsectoracrossthecontinent.

Africanperspectives

Globalinsights

Executivesummary

COVID-19hasaffectedglobalvaluechains(GVCs)byinterruptingtransportandlogistics,supplyandproductiondynamics,anddemandandconsumptionpatterns.TheseeffectshavealsobeenfeltintheSouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC)acrossagriculturalvaluechains,impactingregionalfoodsecurity,intraregionaltradeandeconomicgrowth.AlthoughagriculturehasbeenlessseverelyaffectedbyCOVID-19thanothersectors,thepandemichasneverthelessexposedchallengesinSADCagro-valuechainsandhighlightedareasforimprovement.ThispolicybriefingexploresthesechallengesandtheimpactofCOVID-19,andhowSADCcanoptimiseagro-valuechainsindrivingstrongerregionalintegrationandgrowth.Keychallengesincludealackofheterogeneityinmembercountries’agriculturalactivities,whichhampersintraregionaltrade,astrongdependenceonsubsistencefarming,whichlackscommercialandexportpotential,andwidespreadfoodinsecurity.PrioritiesgoingforwardincludeenhancingfoodsecurityintheSADCregion,makingmoreproductiveuseofthesmall-scalefarmingsectorandusingtheAfricanContinentalFreeTradeAreaasaleverforagriculturalandregionaldevelopment.

Introduction

COVID-19hasaffectedGVCsbyinterruptingactivityinthreeareas:transportandlogistics,supplyandproductiondynamics,anddemandandconsumptionpatterns.1TheseeffectshavealsobeenfeltintheSADCregionacrossagriculturalvaluechains,whichcompriseproducers(farmers),suppliers(industries),distributors(transportandlogistics)andconsumersintheregion.Agro-valuechainsarecentraltoSADCfoodsecuritysystems,intra-regionalintegration,tradeandcooperation,andeconomicgrowth.2

WhiletheagriculturalsectorintheSADCregionhasbeenminimally

affectedbyCOVID-19,thepandemichasshedlightonsomeofthe

challengesthatSADCagro-valuechainsfaceandaccentuatedthem

XiaolanFu,‘Innovativetechnologiesandpost-Coronaviruseconomicrecovery:Aglobalvaluechainsperspective,’InternationalScienceCouncil,June2,2020,

https://council.science/current/news/innovative-technologies-and-post-coronavirus-economic-

recoverya-global-value-chains-perspective/.

AlexanderMutale,‘FoodinsecuritythreatensSadcregion,’FinancialMail,October10,2019,

https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/

features/africa/2019-10-10-food-insecurity-threatens-sadc-region/

.

2 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

Thedisruptiontoexportandimportactivityhaseffectivelyreducedtradeflowsandincreasedtradedeficits

Whiletheagriculturalsector(incontrasttoothersectors)intheSADCregionhasbeenminimallyaffectedbyCOVID-19,3thepandemichasneverthelessshedlightonsomeofthechallengesthatSADCagro-valuechainsfaceandalsoaccentuatedthem.Jobcreationhasdeclinedsignificantlyintheagriculturalsectorduetosocialdistancingregulations.4Furthermore,informal,smallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)havehadtocontendwithshiftingdemandpatterns,interruptedsaleschannelsandlimitedaccesstoinputsandservices.5SouthAfricanSMEswerealreadystrugglingbeforethepandemic,with80%ofsmallbusinessownerssaying(ina2019survey)thattheywouldneedfunding.ByMay2020,itwasestimatedthatSMEswouldseetheirrevenuedeclineby60%duringthepandemic.6

Thedisruptiontoexportandimportactivityhaseffectivelyreducedtradeflowsandincreasedtradedeficits.Forinstance,theclosureofbordersreducedinformalcross-bordertransactions,whichaccountfor30–40%ofintra-SADCtrade.7ThepandemichashighlightedtheglobalisednatureoftradeandtheimportanceoftheSADCregionintegratingintoglobalvaluechainsinordertoimprovecountries’developmentprospects.8However,thepandemichasalsopresenteduniqueopportunitiesfor‘buildingbackbetter’anddevelopinginclusiveagro-valuechainsintheregion.

Thispolicybriefingexplorestheshort-andlong-termeffectsofCOVID-19onSADCagro-valuechains,firstdepictingthestateofagricultureintheregionandthenhighlightingthechallengespresentedbytheeffectsofthepandemic.Italsodiscussessomeoftheopportunitiesavailabletopolicymakerstodevelopsustainableagro-valuechainsintheregion.

WandileSihlobo,‘TheeffectsoftheCovid-19pandemiconagriculturalemploymentinSouthAfrica,’BizCommunity,June23,2020,

/Article/196/358/205388.html

.

Sihlobo,‘TheeffectsoftheCovid-19pandemic’.

AndrewBowmanandReenaDasNair,‘Covid-19impactsonSMEmaizeanddairyprocessorsinSouthAfrica’(ProjectBrief,Innovation&InclusioninAgro-processing,June30,2020),

/publication/342716227_Covid-19_impacts_

on_SME_maize_and_dairy_processors_in_South_Africa

.

TrevorGosling,‘COVID-19:HowtoSaveSouthAfricanSMEs,’TheSouthAfrican,May12,2020,

/

news/finance/covid-19-how-to-save-south-african-smes/

.

InnocentMuranganwa,‘EffectsoftheCOVID-19MeasuresonTradeFacilitationinSADC,’Tralac,October12,2020,

https://www.tralac.org/news/article/14951

.

CarlosBrito,‘COVID-19hasintensifiedthedigitaldivide,’WorldEconomicForum,September24,2020,

/

agenda/2020/09/covid-19-has-intensified-the-digital-divide/

.

3 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

AgricultureinSADC:Recenttrends

AgricultureisamajoreconomicactivityformostSADCmembercountries.Itprovidesemployment,tradeopportunities,foodandincometoaround70%oftheregion’spopulationandtheperformanceofthesectoriscloselylinkedtoeconomicdevelopment,foodsecurityandstability.9However,agriculture’scontributiontogrossdomesticproduct(GDP)varieswidelyacrossSADCmembercountries.IncountriessuchasBotswana,SouthAfrica,MauritiusandZambia,agriculture’sshareofGDPislessthan3%,whereasitismorethan26%incountriessuchasMadagascar,MozambiqueandMalawi(Table1).10

TABLE1

AVERAGESECTORALCONTRIBUTIONSTOGDPBYSELECTEDSADCMEMBER

Country

Manufacturing

Agriculture

Services

Electricity,

Mining&

Construction

gas&water

quarrying

Angola

4.8

7.3

41.6

0.5

34.6

11.2

Botswana

6.2

2.5

62.5

0.0

21.8

6.9

Lesotho

14.5

5.9

59.5

5.8

8.1

6.2

Madagascar

14.1

26.7

54.2

1.2

0.3

3.4

Malawi

10.3

31.1

53.2

1.4

1.0

3.1

Mauritius

15.0

3.8

73.6

2.2

0.3

5.2

Mozambique

10.1

26.2

52.7

3.5

5.1

2.3

Namibia

12.7

7.6

61.2

2.2

12.7

4.3

SouthAfrica

13.4

2.5

68.1

3.5

8.6

4.0

eSwatini

33.0

10.2

51.7

1.3

0.6

3.2

Zambia

7.6

8.0

56.4

2.8

15.2

9.9

Zimbabwe

11.0

11.6

62.3

3.6

8.6

2.9

Source:AfricanDevelopmentBank(AFDB),‘

SouthernAfricaEconomicOutlook2019:Macroeconomicperformanceandprospects’,

AfDB,2019

In2018,theregionwasseverelyaffectedbytheElNiño-induceddrought.11However,SADCthensetoffonarecoverypathwithSouthAfrica,forinstance,expectedtodeliveritssecond-largestgrainharvestinthe2019/2020season.12TheregionalaveragecontributionofagriculturetoGDPisaround13%.13Assuch,agriculture,includingagro-processingandagriculturalvaluechains,hasbeenearmarkedasoneofthreepotentialgrowthareas,alongside‘naturalresource-ledgrowthincludingmineralsbeneficiationandprocessing,

SADC,‘AgricultureandFoodSecurity’,

/themes/agriculture-food-security/

.

TheWorldBank(WBWorldDevelopmentIndicatorsdatabase),database,

/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.

KD.ZG/1ff4a498/Popular-Indicators

.

SouthernTimes,‘SADCmemberstatesmustdeveloptheagriculturesector,’TheSouthernTimes,November3,2019,

/site/news/sadc-member-states-must-develop-the-agriculture-sector.

DonwaldPressly,‘High-endagriproductsmostaffectedbyCOVID-19lockdown,’FarmersWeekly,July30,2020,

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/high-end-agri-products-most-affected-by-covid-19-lockdown/.

SADC,‘AgricultureandFoodSecurity’.

4 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

alsolinkingintovaluechains,bothregionalandglobal,andenhancedparticipationindomestic,regionalandglobalvaluechains’,14undertheSADCIndustrializationStrategyandRoadmap2015–2063.Thisroadmapplacesaspecificfocusonagro-processingandregionalcollaborationthroughtheimplementationofacomprehensiveregionalagriculturalpolicy(RAP)andthedevelopmentofanagriculturalinformationmanagementsystem(AIM)whichisdesignedtoimprovecoordinationatboththenationalandregionallevels.Theseinitiativeshighlighttheimportanceofagriculturallygearedeconomicactivitytodrivesocioeconomicdevelopment.

DespitegreaterattentionbeinggivenatthenationalandregionallevelstodevelopingtheagriculturalvaluechainsacrossSADCmembercountries,theregionfacessomewell-documentedchallengesintheirpursuitofsuchanobjective.

Agriculture,includingagro-processingandagriculturalvaluechains,hasbeenearmarkedasoneofthreepotentialgrowthareas,alongside‘naturalresource-ledgrowthincludingmineralsbeneficiationandprocessing,alsolinkingintovaluechains,bothregionalandglobal,andenhancedparticipationindomestic,regionalandglobalvaluechains’

First,SADCeconomiestendtobeatsimilarlevelsofagriculturaldevelopmentandproducesimilarproducts,suchasgrains(maize,wheatandsorghum),nutsandvegetables,amongothers–exceptforSouthAfricawhichalsoproduceswineandcitrusfruits.15

Second,theagriculturalsectorinAfricahasbeenexperiencing‘sustainedneglect’,whichhaseffectivelytransformedthecontinentfromakeyexporterofagriculturalproductsinthe1960stoanetimportertoday.16

Third,halfthetotalpopulationoftheSADCregionisemployedintheagriculturalsector,buttheregion’sfocusremainspredominantlyonsubsistencefarming,ratherthanonlarge-scalecommercialproductionforexportpurposes.17However,bothsubsistencefarmingandexport-orientatedfarmingarevaluableintheirownway:theformerhas

SADC,‘SADCIndustrialisationStrategyandRoadmap2015‒2063,’April29,2015,

https://library.buse.ac.zw/docs/gvt-publications/

sadc-roadmap.pdf.

HenriA.Minnaar,TheunisDuvenhageandVickeydeVilliers,ProfilingoftheRegionalAgro-ProcessingValueChainsintheSADCRegion,draftfinalreport(Mauritius:ImaniDevelopment,March6,2019),

https://agbiz.co.za/uploads/AgbizNews19/190322_

SADC%20Agro-Processing%20Draft%20Final%20Report.pdf.

IbrahimMayaki,‘3waystotransformagricultureinAfrica,’WorldEconomicForumonAfrica,May11,2016,

https://www.weforum.

org/agenda/2016/05/3-ways-to-transform-agriculture-in-africa/

.

SADC,‘AgricultureandFoodSecurity’.

5 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

TheagriculturalsectorinAfricahasbeenexperiencing‘sustainedneglect’,whichhaseffectivelytransformedthecontinentfromakeyexporterofagriculturalproductsinthe1960stoanetimportertoday

significantsocioeconomicbenefitsandthelattercontributestoeconomicdevelopmentthroughexportearnings.Therefore,neithershouldbeneglected.Infact,itisimportantforSADCcountriestotakeadualapproachtoimprovingagro-valuechainsintheregion–improvingbothsubsistencefarmingandexport-orientatedproduction.

Fourth,thereisgrowinguncertaintysurroundingfoodproduction.Climatechangehasalreadycomplicatedtheissuesofcropchoiceandoptimalgeographicallocationsforcropproduction.18Forexample,in2018,theimpactoftheescalatingclimatecrisisonsouthernAfricabecameclearwhenover41millionpeoplein13ofthe16SADCcountrieswereestimatedtobefoodinsecure.19Unfortunately,thisisacontinuingtrend:in2020Zimbabweexperienceda57%dropinmaizeproductionduetopoorrainfallandtheeconomicmeltdowninthecountry,whileeSwatini,MozambiqueandLesothowereamongseveralcountriesaffectedbydryspells.20

Thereisgrowinguncertaintysurroundingfoodproduction.Climatechangehasalreadycomplicatedtheissuesofcropchoiceandoptimalgeographicallocationsforcropproduction

EvenbeforeCOVID-19,agricultureandagro-valuechainsinAfricahadbeenfacingthechallengesmentionedabove.21Thepredominanceofsmall-scalesubsistencefarminghadalreadybeenputtingpressureongovernmentsandprivate-sectorentitiesintheSADCregiontocreateamoreenablingenvironmentforfarmerstoexpandtheiroperations.

TamaraParemoer,‘RegionalValueChains:ExploringLinkagesandOpportunitiesintheAgro-processingSectorAcrossFiveSADCCountries’(WorkingPaper4/2018,SouthAfricanInstituteofInternationalAffairs,Johannesburg,2019),

.za/saiia-

toolkit/regional-value-chains-linkages-and-opportunities-in-agro-processing-across-five-sadc-countries/

.

Mutale,‘FoodinsecuritythreatensSadc’.

SADCRegionalVulnerabilityAssessment&AnalysisProgramme,SynthesisReportonthestateoffoodandnutritionsecurityandvulnerabilityinSouthernAfrica2020(Gaborone:SADC,July29,2020),

/news/article/14814-sadc-member-

states-urged-to-strengthen-mechanisms-to-mitigate-the-impact-of-covid-19-as-45-million-people-across-the-region-face-

increasing-food-insecurity.html

.

GillianPais,KartikJayaramandArendvanWamelen,‘SafeguardingAfrica’sfoodsystemsthroughandbeyondthecrisis,’McKinsey&Company,June5,2020,

/featured-insights/middle-east-and-africa/safeguarding-africas-food-systems

-through-and-beyond-the-crisis

.

6 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

Thelatterwouldincludedevelopingtransportinfrastructuretoandfromremotefarmingareasandincentivisingagriculturalsuppliersandindustriestomoveclosertothesefarmstoaffordthemeasieraccesstoinputs.ThisisbecauseboostingagriculturalproductivityisnotenoughtoreducepovertyordevelopSADCagro-valuechains.Effectiveandefficienttradewithintheregionaswellaswithother,internationalmarketsisalsoimportant.22Developingresilienceinagriculturalproductionandadoptingclimate-smarttechnologiesarefurtherkeystodevelopingandmaintainingSADCagro-valuechains.

EffectsofCOVID-19andassociatedlockdownsonSADCagro-valuechains

SADC’sagro-valuechainsexperiencedrelativelyfewdisruptionsfromtheCOVID-19pandemicbecauseagriculturewasgenerallydeclaredanessentialindustrysector.23Thishashelpedmaintainrelativelyresilientagro-valuechainsintheregionastransportroutesandportshaveremainedopen.Forexample,notwithstandingtheCOVID-19pandemic,Namibiahasrecordeda42.7%growthrateinitsagriculturalsector.24UsingavailabledatafromSouthAfricaasaproxyforagriculturaltradethroughoutSADCin2020,ageneraltrendwasevident.Table2belowshowsSouthAfrica’sexportstotheSADCregionfromJanuarytoJuly2020.

Table2showsthattherewasadropinagriculturalexportsinthemonthsofAprilandMay2020,whichwasaroundthetimethatlockdownswerebeingintroducedbygovernments,butthesedropswerenotsignificantandexportshadrecoveredbyaroundJune.Similarly,Table3belowshowsthatimportsfromtheSADCregionintoSouthAfricahavenotbeenaffectedbythepandemic,specificallytheclosureofbordersandnationallockdownmeasures.

SADCRVAASynthesisReport2020.

DepartmentofRuralDevelopmentandLandReform,‘MinisterThokoDidiza:FoodsecuritydeclaredanessentialserviceduringCoronavirusCOVID-19,’SouthAfricanGovernment,March26,2020,

.za/speeches/minister-thoko-didiza-food-secur

ity-declared-essential-service-during-coronavirus-covid-19

.

NewsService,‘AgriculturesectorrecordsgrowthinQ1amidCOVID-19pandemic,’NamibiaEconomist,October23,2020,

.na/56761/agriculture/agriculture-sector-records-growth-in-q1-amid-covid-19-pandemic/

.

7 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

TABLE2

SOUTHAFRICA’SEXPORTSTOSADC($THOUSANDS)

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Productlabel

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Beverages,spiritsandvinegar

36862

33597

31260

6345

11809

24069

28360

Cereals

48668

55129

55276

38507

37486

39197

24997

Fertilisers

25658

18905

19058

14607

13961

18896

19485

Sugarsandsugarconfectionery

14991

11421

14655

11492

12954

20073

18505

Preparationsofcereals,flour,

starchormilk;pastrycooks'

17928

17725

19738

13650

13546

16711

18412

products

Animalorvegetablefatsand

oilsandtheircleavageproducts;

13265

11972

17372

17575

20419

16096

18334

preparedediblefats;animal...

Tobaccoandmanufactured

8839

10773

8183

281

13820

12297

18083

tobaccosubstitutes

Productsofthemillingindustry;

malt;starches;inulin;wheat

19691

25857

24804

19449

17491

16177

16574

gluten

Dairyproduce;birds'eggs;

naturalhoney;edibleproducts

19191

16874

18780

12558

12720

14609

16182

ofanimalorigin,notelsewhere...

Ediblevegetablesandcertain

14924

15432

15133

11877

11904

10848

11616

rootsandtubers

Preparationsofvegetables,fruit,

17054

17694

16143

10007

8367

10084

11416

nutsorotherpartsofplants

Meatandediblemeatoffal

9648

10141

11113

5767

6563

7793

11257

Ediblefruitandnuts;peelof

10057

10731

10483

7177

6381

8186

9174

citrusfruitormelons

Oilseedsandoleaginousfruits;

miscellaneousgrains,seedsand

2719

3365

3195

1814

3243

3188

3005

fruit;industrialormedicinal...

Liveanimals

1993

1392

4811

2019

4080

3261

2654

Cotton

3273

4562

2624

14

1297

2046

2346

Source:InternationalTradeCentre(ITCTradeMap)database,retrievedSeptember27,2020,

/Product_

SelCountry_MQ_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c710%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c2%7c3%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c1

8 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

TABLE3

SOUTHAFRICA’SIMPORTSFROMSADC($THOUSANDS)

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Valuein

Productlabel

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

2020-

M01

M02

M03

M04

M05

M06

M07

Liveanimals

9449

17422

18914

4373

4040

6306

8693

Miscellaneouschemical

6484

6555

17527

3633

3674

7016

7167

products

Ediblefruitandnuts;peelof

6010

4867

5919

6727

6800

6841

6861

citrusfruitormelons

Ediblevegetablesandcertain

313

354

344

300

1972

4857

3643

rootsandtubers

Cotton

3486

3086

4439

379

1165

2365

3529

Coffee,tea,matéandspices

1857

5158

2147

3074

2690

3742

2177

Tobaccoandmanufactured

1995

3569

3293

546

2860

1941

2003

tobaccosubstitutes

Oilseedsandoleaginousfruits;

miscellaneousgrains,seedsand

878

554

488

330

793

1451

1900

fruit;industrialormedicinal...

Productsofthemillingindustry;

malt;starches;inulin;wheat

1527

1188

1536

972

1282

1698

1451

gluten

Preparationsofcereals,flour,

starchormilk;pastrycooks'

1212

793

1402

1061

1169

1578

1223

products

Preparationsofmeat,offishor

ofcrustaceans,molluscsorother

1362

641

344

901

846

1180

1163

aquaticinvertebrates

Preparationsofvegetables,fruit,

1996

2458

3289

2011

1486

1119

1156

nutsorotherpartsofplants

Fertilisers

65

115

34

40

383

97

245

Source:InternationalTradeCentre(ITCTradeMap)database,retrievedSeptember27,2020,

/Product_

SelCountry_MQ_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c710%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c2%7c3%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c1

TherealimpactofCOVID-19haslargelybeeninhowithasexacerbatedthe(aforementioned)existingchallenges25occurringinSADCagro-valuechains‒evidencedinparticularintheactionstakenbygovernmentstolimittheimpactofthepandemic.Thesearediscussedbelow.

TherealimpactofCOVID-19haslargelybeeninhowithasexacerbatedtheexistingchallengesoccurringinSADCagro-valuechains

JamesZhanetal.,‘Globalvaluechaintransformationto2030:Overalldirectionandpolicyimplications,’VoxEU.org,August13,2020,

/article/global-value-chain-transformation-decade-ahead

.

9 PolicyBriefing234|OPTIMISINGAGRICULTURALVALUECHAINSINSOUTHERNAFRICAAFTERCOVID-19

SADCagro-valuechains:Opportunitiesamidthechallenges

First,themostdevastatingsocioeconomicconsequenceofCOVID-19,asfarasSADCagro-valuechainsareconcerned,hasbeenthedifficultyfacedbymanyinacquiringaccesstofood,resultinginrisinglevelsofhunger.TheSynthesisReportonthestateoffoodandnutritionsecurityandvulnerabilityinSouthernAfrica2020showedthatabout44.8millionpeopleinsouthernAfrica,livinginbothurbanandruralareas,arefoodinsecure.Datashowsthatfoodinsecurityincreasedbyabout10%between2019and2020.26Inaddition,theclosureofschoolsduetoCOVID-19hasnegativelyaffectedfoodandnutritionsecurityamongchildrenofschool-goingage,withanestimated20.5millionschoolchildrennothavingaccesstomealsandnutritionservicesnormallyprovidedbyschools.27

TheSynthesisReportonthestateoffoodandnutritionsecurityandvulnerabilityinSouthernAf