The Social and Gendered Effects of COVID-19 on Groundnut Farmers in Burkina and Mali

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic  impacted all socioeconomic activities across the world, leading to slowdowns, downturns, job and income losses, and other disruptions with considerable effects on poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in the fragile sociopolitical environment of West and Central Africa (WCA). The measures taken by the different States to prevent, control and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic differed, based on the nature and degree of preparedness, the economic performance of the State, and the adaptability and flexibility of the sociopolitical system. However, the measures taken by the Governments seem to have focused less on the rural areas where agriculture is the main occupation of the people. This study examined the social and gendered effect of COVID-19 on groundnut farmers in nine regions of Mali and Burkina Faso. The data were collected through surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions involving 919 farmers.  The study revealed that although farmers were aware of COVID-19 and  received training on its disruptive effects, the most significant effects of COVID-19 on groundnut farmers in Mali and Burkina Faso included  decrease in food availability for households, decrease in output price and limited access to output markets. However, these significant effects of COVID-19 were perceived and ranked differently by female and male farmers in the two countries, depending on the specificities of the social policies of each country and the social construction of gender roles and responsibilities in the groundnut production systems.