Differences in the early impact of COVID-19 on food security and livelihoods in rural and urban areas in the Asia Pacific Region

This study, based on a survey of NGO-supported communities in six Asia Pacific countries, examined the early impacts of COVID-19 on job loss, reduced income, food expenditure, food availability, and item affordability in urban and rural areas. Job loss was higher in urban areas, especially in India, Myanmar, and Vietnam, where food expenditure reductions were also greater in urban areas. Urban households had less food stock compared to rural households, particularly in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. However, markets generally had item availability without major rural-urban differences, except in Vietnam. Affordability of essential items was low (20%-30%), with urban areas showing slightly better affordability for some items. The study recommends promoting urban agriculture, improving food distribution, and supporting smallholder farmers to enhance regional supply chain resilience.