Coronavirus (COVID-19) Implications on the Livelihoods of the Farmers

Abstract

This study aimed at reviewing the literature on Coronavirus (COVID-19) implications on the livelihoods of the farmers. Using a literature review, the paper aimed at understanding how COVID-19 has impacted the livelihoods of the farmers whose survival depends on agriculture. Driven by the following objectives; the paper reviewed firstly, lessons to be learned from the past pandemics, secondly, how COVID-19 has affected farmers’ livelihoods and thirdly, the effects of COVID-19 impacts on communities. The paper argues that, with the enormous public health policies on avoiding the spread of the pandemic, the livelihoods of the farmers have largely been affected due to reduced productivities, challenges in accessing and utilizing the markets for a nutritious and food secure life is leading to increasing poverty levels. Poverty, creates vulnerabilities making farmers susceptible to crime, human trafficking, theft and rape as observed in most African countries in the COVID-19 period. Hence, the need to avoid seeing the world through western homogeneous lenses to context-specific in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.