Skip navigation

On the susceptibility and vulnerability of agricultural value chains to COVID-19

On the susceptibility and vulnerability of agricultural value chains to COVID-19

Morton, John ORCID: 0000-0002-8013-5794 (2020) On the susceptibility and vulnerability of agricultural value chains to COVID-19. World Development, 136:105132. ISSN 0305-750X (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105132)

[img]
Preview
PDF (Pre-Proof Manuscript)
29132 MORTON_Susceptibility_and_Vulnerability_of_Agricultural_Value Chains_2020.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

Download (277kB) | Preview

Abstract

In the context of the major potential impacts of COVID-19 on agriculture and agricultural trade in developing countries, this Viewpoint discusses the advantages of adopting a conceptual framework previously used to discuss the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on agriculture and rural livelihoods. The framework is made up of two pairs of linked concepts: 1) Susceptibility or the chance of an individual becoming infected; 2) Resistance or the ability of an individual to avoid infection; 3) Vulnerability or the likelihood of significant impacts occurring at individual, household or community level; and 4) Resilience: the active responses that enable people to avoid the worst impacts of an epidemic at different levels or to recover faster to a level accepted as normal. This framework allows the clear formulation of key questions for COVID-19: factors in the labor process itself that make people more or less susceptible; broader socio-economic and biophysical determinants of susceptibility; factors that make farm households, food enterprises and value chains more vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic; and aspects of COVID-19 responses by governments and the private sector that might increase vulnerability. Brief examples of susceptibility of value chain operations and of their vulnerability to COVID-19 lockdown measures are given. A focus on resistance and resilience encourages investigation of local-level responses by communities and NGOs, which with appropriate monitoring and learning could be scaled up.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Viewpoint, Policy Forum or Opinion
Uncontrolled Keywords: COVID 19, agriculture, value chains
Subjects: S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Engineering & Science
Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute
Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Development Studies Research Group
Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Livelihoods & Institutions Department
Last Modified: 13 Aug 2022 01:38
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/29132

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics