COVID-19’s impact on urban food security in Benin: Evidence from household dietary changes

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated response measures significantly affected household food consumption and security. In Benin, the most stringent intervention was the establishment of a sanitary cordon to restrict movement. This study examines the impact of the pandemic on urban household diets and consumption behaviours, as well as their coping strategies. A total of 149 households were randomly selected across four cities, both within and outside the sanitary cordon. Data on food consumption, dietary diversity, and expenditure were collected for 2019 and 2020, covering pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. Findings reveal that dietary diversity declined more sharply within the sanitary cordon—up to 11.9% for male heads of households, and 7.2% and 5.3% for female heads of kitchens inside and outside the cordon, respectively. Children under five experienced reductions of 2.7% and 6.0%, respectively. Meat consumption was the only dietary component significantly affected, while household income remained stable. To cope, households relied on savings, borrowed money, and cut non-food expenses. These findings highlight the vulnerability of urban food systems to mobility restrictions and provide insights for designing adaptive responses to future public health crises.