COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa

International trade of food and agricultural products plays a major role in ensuring food security and livelihoods across the African continent. Yet formal intracontinental trade data give only a glimpse of trade’s importance for African consumers and producers because—depending on the country and b...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bouët, Antoine, Kurtz, Julie E., Traoré, Fousseini
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143601
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author Bouët, Antoine
Kurtz, Julie E.
Traoré, Fousseini
author_browse Bouët, Antoine
Kurtz, Julie E.
Traoré, Fousseini
author_facet Bouët, Antoine
Kurtz, Julie E.
Traoré, Fousseini
author_sort Bouët, Antoine
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description International trade of food and agricultural products plays a major role in ensuring food security and livelihoods across the African continent. Yet formal intracontinental trade data give only a glimpse of trade’s importance for African consumers and producers because—depending on the country and border—up to 99 percent of agricultural trade crosses borders informally. In West Africa, for example, an estimated 30 percent of staple foods evade formal customs, and the proportion can be much greater for highly perishable fruits and vegetables. Consequently, formal trade data paint only a limited picture of COVID-19’s disruptive effect on trade within the African continent—and of related nutrition and livelihood consequences. To better understand the current and future impacts on African food producers and consumers, we must examine both the magnitude and unique mechanisms of informal cross-border trade (ICBT).
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spelling CGSpace1436012025-11-06T04:46:15Z COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa Bouët, Antoine Kurtz, Julie E. Traoré, Fousseini policies covid-19 trade barriers trade livelihoods food security International trade of food and agricultural products plays a major role in ensuring food security and livelihoods across the African continent. Yet formal intracontinental trade data give only a glimpse of trade’s importance for African consumers and producers because—depending on the country and border—up to 99 percent of agricultural trade crosses borders informally. In West Africa, for example, an estimated 30 percent of staple foods evade formal customs, and the proportion can be much greater for highly perishable fruits and vegetables. Consequently, formal trade data paint only a limited picture of COVID-19’s disruptive effect on trade within the African continent—and of related nutrition and livelihood consequences. To better understand the current and future impacts on African food producers and consumers, we must examine both the magnitude and unique mechanisms of informal cross-border trade (ICBT). 2020-11-01 2024-05-22T12:15:30Z 2024-05-22T12:15:30Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143601 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Bouët, Antoine; Kurtz, Julie E.; and Traoré, Fousseini. 2020. COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa. IFPRI Trade Briefs November 2020. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134241.
spellingShingle policies
covid-19
trade barriers
trade
livelihoods
food security
Bouët, Antoine
Kurtz, Julie E.
Traoré, Fousseini
COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title_full COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title_fullStr COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title_short COVID-19 impact on informal trade: Disruptions to livelihoods and food security in Africa
title_sort covid 19 impact on informal trade disruptions to livelihoods and food security in africa
topic policies
covid-19
trade barriers
trade
livelihoods
food security
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143601
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AT kurtzjuliee covid19impactoninformaltradedisruptionstolivelihoodsandfoodsecurityinafrica
AT traorefousseini covid19impactoninformaltradedisruptionstolivelihoodsandfoodsecurityinafrica