When borders close: Social networks, resilience and food security among informal cross-border fish traders on the Ghana-Togo border

Abstract

Cross-border fish trade contributes to regional food security and is a source of income for informal traders. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of cross-border traders were severely affected. Lockdowns and border closures limited the movement of people and goods, hindering regional trade. The study builds on a survey using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews conducted in Ghana in 2021 and examines the impacts of the Ghana-Togo border closure on informal cross-border female fish traders’ livelihoods and food security. The findings demonstrate that despite traders’ great efforts to keep their businesses afloat, the border closure affected the traders’ mobility, trade routes, trade volumes, and incomes, which in turn negatively affected the variety and quality of their households’ diets. However, the study also documents how traders were able to implement different strategies to cope with the difficult situation by activating and extending trust-based social networks crucial for trade. The authors therefore conclude that the social embeddedness of fish traders’ informal economic activities was decisive for the resilience of the cross-border trade system during the pandemic, which at least to some degree mitigated the negative effects on traders’ livelihoods and food security.