The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural and Urban Settlements in Benin: Do Allotment Gardens Soften the Blow?

A Rapid Food Security Appraisal among 240 rural and urban dwellers in southern Benin was conducted, using univariate bivariate analyses, to evaluate the effects of imposed COVID-19 ‘cordon sanitaire’ on food consumption patterns. As this is one first empirical studies security nexus, we found that raging pandemic has affected pillars (availability, accessibility, utilization, stability) both areas, within outside cordon sanitaire. The steepest decline observed respondents who live inside sanitaire, where producers inhabitants without access allotment gardens were hit hard. Increased prices, disruptions logistics, inability work due movement restrictions most frequently indicated as reasons for decline. Access effectively supported households mitigating crisis.