Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on small-scale farming in Northeastern Nile Delta of Egypt and learned lessons for water conservation potentials

COVID-19 and its impact on the profit of mango value chain actors

The unprecedented impact of the pandemic on both activities and profit of actors draws out the various areas of the value chain that need to be strengthened to ensure resilience in the face of global shock. This study fills the gap by assessing the extent at which COVID-19 impacted the profit of mango value chain actors in southern Ghana. It also analyzed the governance structure and the existing linkages in the dissemination of market information in relation to the profit of the actors. A two-year panel survey on 240 respondents was conducted in 2020 through a multi-stage sampling technique in Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana. Net Farm Income, Social Network Analysis and Difference-in-Difference models were used in analyzing the data. Findings revealed that mango processors have more bargaining power and make the most profit while producers receive more information than other actors. Farmer-based organizations were found to be the prominent node and influential in the dissemination of market information within the value chain. The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted the profit of mango producers and distributors; however, processors had a positive impact on their profit. The study therefore demonstrated that producers and distributors were vulnerable to the effect of the COVID-19 shock, whilst processors were robust to the shocks. Thus, reformed policies by all stakeholders for emergency preparedness should be targeted especially at those vulnerable actors in the chain. Additionally, FBOs, retailers and other key stakeholders should be considered in policy development to enhance market information dissemination.

Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region

The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.

Mapping scientific knowledge discovery on COVID-19 pandemic and agriculture: a bibliometric analysis and future research directions

This paper aims at analyzing the research productivity and scientific knowledge discovery of the COVID-19 pandemic in agriculture using a bibliometric analysis approach. A total of 1514 research papers indexed in the Scopus database, covering a period of 2020 to 2022, are processed using VOSviewer and R-Studio software. The analysis of research productivity indicates that the number of research publications on COVID-19 and agriculture has exponentially increased globally, and about 80% of the research papers have been published in the top 10 countries led by the USA, India, and China. The countries are increasingly collaborating in undertaking research on COVID-19 and agriculture. Furthermore, major journals and articles with citations have been extracted to analyze the leading publication avenues and focused areas of research. The science mapping is done using co-occurrence and thematic map. With the help of co-occurrence analysis, six clusters are identified depicting major research themes, i.e., COVID-19 and agricultural supply chain disruption, COVID-19 and human health issues and coping strategies, COVID-19 and non-human and animal health, COVID-19 pandemic and environment and pollution, COVID-19 and healthcare and treatment, and COVID-19 and food nutrition from dairy and meat products. The thematic map analysis identifies potential research areas such as mental health, anxiety, and depression in the agricultural system, which may help in setting future research agenda and help devising policy supports for managing the agriculture sector better during crisis. The paper also highlights the theoretical and practical implications.

Geopolitical risks for Egypt wheat supply and trade

Introduction

Since 2005, Russia has established a stable position in Egypt's wheat imports, and after 2016, it became the largest global wheat exporter. The shift in Russian grain production has visibly affected wheat export destinations in favor of developing countries. This paper identifies the main determinants of wheat trade in Egypt concerning the primary risks associated with the war in Ukraine.

Methods

The paper utilizes time series analysis, index analysis, and an econometric model to define the statistical relationship between the quantity of wheat imported into Egypt and population development, wheat price, and wheat production.

Results

Despite increasing wheat production growth rates (1.9% p.a. over 2000–2020) and a growing population (2.01% p.a.), Egypt is unable to reduce its import dependence below 50% of total consumption. Undernourishment in Egypt remains at 5.2%–5.4% of the population. The econometric model shows that variables describing the evolution of production, population, and prices are statistically significant in relation to wheat imports. Egypt's wheat imports continue to increase even with rising prices, which is typical for developing countries. The war in Ukraine and associated commodity price increases have far-reaching implications for Africa's food security and supply systems.

Discussion

Egypt's vulnerability to external influences, such as climate change, migration, rising commodity prices, and population growth, exacerbates the situation. Most African countries, including Egypt, struggle with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also face rising food and energy prices, conflicts between the world's largest food producers, and increasing poverty rates. The research findings confirm that Egypt is among the highly vulnerable countries due to the war in Ukraine and the disruption of agricultural supply chains.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on spatial preferences and usage habits of users in shopping malls and its relation with circulation layout

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its global impact on every scale of life, has caused a change in all the habits of people regarding daily life, and this change has also been directly reflected in the human-space interaction. The bidirectional relationship between human and space has evolved by being influenced by each other during the pandemic process. Within the scope of this study, which aims to determine the predicted change in the spatial preferences and usage habits of the users in the shopping malls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which causes changes in the space and the usage habits of the users from micro scale to macro scale, analyzes were made with the research methodology consisting of three stages (i. space syntax, ii. survey, iii. comparison) and the results were evaluated. According to the results obtained from the case study, it was determined that the COVID-19 pandemic deeply changed people's spatial perception, preferences and usage habits in shopping malls and circulation layout also plays a role on it. To summarize, while personal preferences were at the forefront in places to be preferred for shopping before the pandemic, the characteristics of the place gained importance after the pandemic.

Agriculture 5.0: A New Strategic Management Mode for a Cut Cost and an Energy Efficient Agriculture Sector

The farmers’ welfare and its interlinkages to energy efficiency and farm sustainability has attracted global scientific interest within the last few decades. This study examines the contribution of Agriculture 5.0 to the prosperity of the farmers in the post-pandemic era and the gradual transition to an energy-smart farm. To obtain an insight into the attributes of Agriculture 5.0 and the emerging technologies in the field, Bibliometrix analysis with the use of an R package was conducted based on 2000 data consisting of peer-reviewed articles. The data were retrieved from the Scopus database. A bibliometric approach was employed to analyze the data for a comprehensive overview of the trend, thematic focus, and scientific production in the field of Agriculture 5.0 and energy-smart farming. Emerging technologies that are part of Agriculture 5.0 in combination with alternative energy sources can provide cost-effective access to finance, weather updates, remotely monitoring, and future energy solutions for the establishment of smart farms. Keywords such as “renewable energy,” “Internet of Things,” and “emission control” remain the trending keywords. Moreover, thematic analysis shows that “economic and social effects”, “energy efficiency”, “remote sensing”, and “Artificial Intelligence” with their associated components such as “anaerobic digestion”, “wireless sensor network,” “agricultural robots”, and “smart agriculture” are the niche themes of Agriculture 5.0 in combination with green energy sources, which can lead to the cut cost, energy-efficient, and sustainable energy-smart farms.