Exploring Household Food Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Morocco

Hamid El Bilali; Tarek Ben Hassen; Chedli Baya Chatti; Aziz Abouabdillah; Si Bennasseur Alaoui

doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.724803

Exploring Household Food Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Morocco

Front Nutr. 2021 Sep 27:8:724803. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.724803. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Hamid El Bilali¹, Tarek Ben Hassen², Chedli Baya Chatti³, Aziz Abouabdillah⁴, Si Bennasseur Alaoui⁵

Affiliations

¹ International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Valenzano, Italy.
² Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
³ Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁴ Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Ecole Nationale D'Agriculture de Meknès, Meknès, Morocco.
⁵ Department of Production, Protection and Biotechnology, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco.

Abstract

Alongside the dramatic impact on health systems, eating, shopping, and other food-related habits may have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. This paper analyses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food shopping habits and food-related activities of a diverse sample of 340 adult consumers in Morocco. The study is based on an online survey conducted in Morocco from September 15 to November 5, 2020, utilizing a standardized questionnaire delivered in French and Arabic via Survey Monkey. The findings show that consumers' diet, shopping behavior, and food interactions have changed significantly. Indeed, the survey outcomes indicated (i) an increase in the consumption of local items owing to food safety concerns; (ii) an increase in online grocery shopping; (iii) a rise in panic buying and food hoarding; and (iv) an increase in culinary capabilities. The findings are expected to help guide Morocco's current emergency measures as well as long-term food-related policies.

Keywords: COVID-19; MENA region; Morocco; North-Africa; food behavior; food consumption.