FOOD ACCESSIBILITY VERSUS FOOD AVAILABILITY IN
UZBEKISTAN CITIES DURING THE 2020 PANDEMIC
Inna Rudenko*, Marina Li**, Etenesh Asfaw***, and Fotima Saydullaeva**
*H. Olimjon Street 14, Urgench city 220100, Uzbekistan; irudenko@mail.ru
**Qori Niyoziy Street 39, Tashkent city 100000, Uzbekistan; limarinarud@gmail.com
***Istikbol Street 12, Tashkent city 100047, Uzbekistan; easfaw@wiut.uz
**Qori Niyoziy Street 39, Tashkent city 100000, Uzbekistan; limarinarud@gmail.com
Abstract
The COVID-19 lockdown measures in Uzbekistan disrupted the purchasing power of city residents as well as their food
security. The ability to earn cash income is a significant determinant of urban food security, and perhaps the biggest challenge
urban dwellers face under crisis times. This is because urban dwellers have limited options to produce own food and have to
rely on city markets for access to food. This paper explores food accessibility and food availability in the three major cities of
Uzbekistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary data was collected in July 2020, via an on-line survey of 652 random city
residents of Uzbekistan. The on-line survey was part of a bigger case study by the authors, entitled “Food security in cities of
Uzbekistan in light of the COVID-19 crisis” [1]. The study reveals that changes in income due to the pandemic have increased
the vulnerability of the city dwellers with regards to economic and physical access to major food items. The findings from the
descriptive analysis indicates that urban consumers changed their food buying routines from bazaars to supermarkets, and
small shops due to mobility restriction and food safety reasons. Most of the respondents across cities reported to be tapping in
their savings to cover shortages in income to buy their main food items. As most survey respondents exhausted their savings,
they resorted to buying fewer quantity of food and enjoyed lesser variety and portion of foods (shifting from expensive meat
products to bread, cereals, eggs and vegetables). The findings confirm that physical, and the more so economic access to food
is a vital factor for urban food security.
Keywords: COVID-19, food security, lockdown, urban consumers, food consumption, Uzbekistan.