This article examines the short‐term effects of the COVID‐19 lockdown on food security and nutrition in rural Guatemala.

How can decisionmakers resolve the tension between optimal long-run policies and short-run initiatives to address food security concerns?

Rural populations face a much higher burden of child undernutrition than urban populations, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa, a continent where many households still live in remote rural areas.

Four rounds of nationally representative data from Ethiopia document changes in household food consumption patterns.