Diversity and Role of Entomological Fauna Associated With Annona senegalensis (Magnoliales: Annonaceae) in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Annona senegalensis Pers. is a shrub of tropical countries that, during the fruiting period, harbor many insects. All parts of the plant are used and exploited in traditional medicine, food, and firewood. Our study aimed at evaluating the diversity of insects associated with the different phenological stages of A. senegalensis fruits in two phytogeographic zones of Burkina Faso. Sampling was carried out on flowers, green fruits, ripe fruits, and decayed fruits of A. senegalensis. For the first time, a total of 48 insects species belonging to 6 orders and 23 families were identified. These orders were Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera. Our data indicated that the diversity of insect species varies according to the stages of development of the fruit (P = 0.017) and according to the site (P = 2.2e-16). Among these insects, Curculionidae (Endaeus spp.) predominate on flowers, are known to be pollinators, and Formicidae (Messor galla Mayr, [Hymenoptera: Formicidae], Trichomyrmex abyssinicus Forel, [Hymenoptera: Formicidae], and Crematogaster sp.) and Tettigometridae (Hilda undata Walker, [Hemiptera: Tettigometridae]) are suspected to have mutualistic relationships on green fruits. Potential pests belonging to the Scarabaeidae (Pachnoda spp., Polybaphes spp., and Xeloma Maura Boheman, [Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae]), Drosophilidae (Zaprionus indianus Gupta, [Diptera: Drosophilidae]), and Nitidulidae (Carpophilus nepos Murray, [Coleoptera: Nitidulidae]) are associated with ripe and decayed fruits. The data in this study highlight the diversity in terms of pollinators that ensure the fruit production and Formicidae known to protect A. senegalensis against potential pests. These data provide valuable information in terms of valuation of this plant.

Could Covid-19 Worsen Food Insecurity in Burkina Faso?

This paper analyses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on households' food security in Burkina Faso. For this purpose, we have made use of a single country's computable general equilibrium model and formulated two alternative scenarios (optimistic and pessimistic). While the baseline already shows a worrying food situation, our results suggest that the pandemic of Covid-19 contributes to a worsening of food security. First, the food deficit of poor rural and urban households worsens. Second, even if their food consumption decreases, the urban non-poor households seem to be resilient to the Covid-19 pandemic. The severity of food insecurity is increasing among poor households in rural and urban areas, whereas the non-poor rural households are likely to fall into the category of vulnerable people. Third, the negative impacts on food security can be explained by the combination of several factors such as a rise in food prices, a decrease in households' incomes and remittances. Finally, the negative impact on food security seems permanent, as the deviation from the baseline persists over 10 years (2020-2030).

Cet article analyse l'impact de la pandémie de la COVID-19 sur la sécurité alimentaire des ménages au Burkina Faso. À cette fin, nous avons utilisé un modèle d'équilibre général calculable mono-pays et formulé deux scénarios alternatifs (l'un optimiste, l'autre pessimiste). Alors que la situation de référence montre déjà une situation alimentaire préoccupante, nos résultats suggèrent que la pandémie de COVID-19 contribue à une aggravation de l'insécurité alimentaire. Premièrement, le déficit alimentaire des ménages pauvres ruraux et urbains s'aggrave. Deuxièmement, même si leur consommation alimentaire diminue, les ménages urbains non pauvres semblent faire preuve de résilience face à la pandémie de COVID-19. La gravité de l'insécurité alimentaire augmente parmi les ménages pauvres des zones rurales et urbaines, tandis que les ménages ruraux non pauvres sont susceptibles de tomber dans la catégorie des personnes vulnérables. Troisièmement, l'impact négatif sur la sécurité alimentaire peut s'expliquer par la combinaison de plusieurs facteurs tels qu'une hausse des prix des denrées alimentaires, une diminution des revenus des ménages et une diminution des envois de fonds. Enfin, l'impact négatif sur la sécurité alimentaire semble permanent, puisque l'écart par rapport au scénario de référence persiste sur 10 ans (2020-2030).