Farming households’ resilience to food insecurity under COVID-19 shocks in Cameroon

This study uses the case of farming households in Cameroon to explore households’ resilience to food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focus group discussions were conducted to identify the different COVID-19-related shocks and the response strategies implemented by farming households. A multistage random sampling procedure was used to survey 249 farming households. Through econometric modelling techniques, our findings reveal that COVID-19 shocks adversely affected farming households’ food security and reduced households’ resilience capacity. However, existing adaptive capacity and access to basic services significantly contributed to farming households’ resilience. Female-headed farming households and farming households in urban areas were more resilient to COVID-19 shocks than male-headed households and households in rural areas, respectively. The study recommends that policies and interventions targeting the enhancement of farming households’ adaptive capacity and improved access to basic services are essential for preparedness, response, and swift recovery from unanticipated systemic shocks such as COVID-19 in Cameroon.